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SHAKESPEARE'S 



COMEDY OF THE 



Two Gentlemen of Verona 



EDITED, WITH NOTES 

BY 

WILLIAM J. ROLFE, Litt.D. 

FORMERLY HEAD MASTER OF THE HIGH SCHOOL 
CAMBRIDGE, MASS. 



ILLUSTRATED 



NEW YORK .:. CINCINNATI .:• CHICAGO 

AMERICAN BOOK COMPANY 






OQPT ^ 



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COPYRIGHT, 1882 AXD 1 898, BY 

HARPER & BROTHERS. 

Cop-i-RIGHT, 1905, BY 

%^illia:si j. rolfk 



TTS'O GENT. OF VE.B.OSA, 
W. P. I 



PREFATORY NOTE 

This play, which I first edited in 1882, has now been 
thoroughly revised on the same general plan as its 
predecessors in the new series. 



CONTENTS 



Introduction to The Two Gentlemen of Verona 
The History of the Play . 
The Sources of the Plot . 
General Comments on the Play 

The Two Gentlemen of Verona 
Act I 
Act II 
Act III 
Act IV 
Act V 

Notes . 

Appendix 

Shakespeare's 'Prentice Work in Comedy 
The Time- Analysis of the Play 
List of Characters in the Play 



PAGE 

9 
9 

lO 
lO 

15 
17 

33 
60 

79 



113 



i»9 
193 
195 



Index of Words and Phrases Explained 



197 




Italian Nobleman 




Italian Ladies 

INTRODUCTION TO THE TWO GEN- 
TLEMEN OF VERONA 



The History of the Play 

The Two Gentlemen of Verona was one of Shake- 
speare's earliest comedies, written in or about 1591, 
though not printed, so far as we know, until it appeared 
in the folio of 1623. It may have followed close upon 
Love's Labour V Lost^ or, as many critics believe, The 
Comedy of Errors may have come between. The earli- 
est reference to it that has been found is in Meres's 
list of 1598, in which it is the first of the six comedies 
mentioned. The play is well printed in the folio, and 
the textual difficulties are comparatively few. 

9 



lo Two Gentlemen of Verona 



The Sources of the Plot 

Some of the incidents in the plot are identical with 
those in the Story of the Shepherdess Felts menu in the 
Diana Enamorada of Jorge de Montemayor, a Portu- 
guese poet and novelist (though this romance was 
written in Spanish), who w^as born in 1520. The Diana 
was translated by Bartholomew Yong (or Young) as 
early as 1583, though his version was not printed until 
1598. The tale appears to have been dramatized in 
1584 in the History of Felix and Philomena^ acted at 
Greenw^ich. Shakespeare may also have drawn some 
material from Bandello's novel of Appollonius and 
Sylla (translated in 1581) and from Sidney's Arcadia, 
He was, however, but slightly indebted to any of these 
sources, and some of the coincidences that have been 
pointed out may be accidental. 



General Comments on the Play 

Hanmer, and after him Upton, thought the style of 
the play so little like Shakespeare's general dramatic 
manner that they were confident " he could have had 
no other hand in it than enlivening, with some speeches 
and lines thrown in here and there," the production of 
some inferior dramatist, from whose thoughts his own 
are easily to be distinguished, " as being of a different 
stamp from the rest;" but this view was refuted by 



y 



Introduction ii 



Johnson, and has been rejected by all succeeding critics. 
On the contrary, as Verplanck remarks, "/The play is 
full of undeniable marks of the author in its strong 
resemblance in taste and style to his earlier plays and 
poems, as well as in the indications it gives of his future 
power of original humour and vivid delineation of char- 
acter. 1^ It, indeed, has the characteristics of a young 
author who had already acquired a ready and familiar 
mastery of poetic diction and varied versification, and 
who had studied nature with a poet's eyes : for the play 
abounds in brief passages of great beauty and melody. 
There are here, too, as in his other early dramas, out- 
lines of thought and touches of character, sometimes 
faintly or imperfectly sketched, to w^^ich he afterwards 
returned in his maturer years, and 'wrought them out 
into his most striking scenes and impressive passages.*^ 
Thus, Julia and Silvia are, both: of them, evidently 
early studies of female love and loveliness, from the un- 
practised * prentice hand ' of the same great artist who 
was afterwards to portray with matchless delicacy and 
truth the deeper affections, the nobler intellects, and 
the varied imaginative genius of Viola, of Rosalind, 
and of Imogen. Indeed, as a drama of character, 
however inferior to his own after-creations, it is, when 
compared with the works of his predecessors and con- 
temporaries, superior alike in taste and in originality.. 
As- Mr. Hallam justly observes, ' it was probably the 
first English comedy in which characters are drawn 
ideal and yet true j ' although, when contrasted with 



12 Two Gentlemen of Verona 

the vivid and discriminating delineations to which his 
genius aftenvards familiarized his audience, both the 
truth of nature and the ideal grace appear marked with 
the faint colouring and uncertain drawing of a timid 
hand. The composition, as a whole, does not seem to 
have been poured forth with the rapid abundance of his 
later works ; but, in its graver parts^ bears evidence of 
the young author's careful elaboration, seldom daring 
to deviate from the habits of versification to which his 
muse had been accustomed, and fearful of venturing on 
any untried novelty of expression. 

" Johnson (probably on the authority of his friend, 
Sir J. Reynolds) has well replied to the objection raised 
by Upton to Shakespeare's right of authorship to this 
piece, founded on the dift'erence of style and manner 
from his other plays, by comparing this difference to 
the variation of manner between Raphael's first pictures 
and those of his ripened talent. This comparison is 
more apt and pregnant than Johnson's limited acquaint- 
ance with the arts of design allowed him to perceive. 
Raphael, as compared with other great masters of his 
art, was eminently the dramatic painter — the delineator 
of human action, passion, character, and expression; 
and as the peculiar powers of his genius developed 
themselves by exercise, so, too, he gradually formed 
to himself his own taste and style of execution and 
expression ; while, like his great dramatic antit}'pe, 
his earlier works, full of grace and mind, yet bore the 
marks of the feebler school in which he had studied, 



Introduction 13 

as well as of the timidity and constraint of half-formed 
talent. 

"Not only is the language of this piece carefully 
studied, but there seems no haste or carelessness in 
the construction of the plot, unless we may admit the 
criticism of Judge Blackstone, whose legally trained 
acuteness has done for Shakespeare almost as much as 
the clearness and gracefulness of a style acquired in 
the best school of EngHsh literature has contributed to 
methodizing and elucidating the mysteries of his coun- 
try's law. He remarks that the great fault of the play 
is ^ the hastening too abruptly, and without prepara- 
tion, to the denouement, which shows that it was one 
of Shakespeare's very early performances,' This, how- 
ever, appears to be rather the want of dramatic skill, 
to be acquired by experience, than any effect of negli- 
gence or haste, and is, after all, no very serious fault. 
If, as a poem, it has little of that exuberance of thought 
which afterwards overflowed his page, yet, in the con- 
struction of his story, there is not only no deficiency 
of invention, but even more labour in that way than he 
was afterwards accustomed to bestow. The charac- 
ters were not only new and uncopied from any dramatic 
model, but the plot and incidents are substantially 
equally original ; for, although Skottowe, and the other 
diligent searchers for the original materials of his dra- 
mas, have found two or three resembling incidents in 
Sidney's Arcadia and elsewhere, still there is nothing 
to show that the young dramatist had employed any 



14 Two Gentlemen of Verona 

prior story as the groundwork of his plot ; and the in- 
cidents he used were such as form part of the common 
stock of romantic narrative. 

" In the humorous parts of the play, he is still more 
unfettered by authority, and more whimsically and 
boldly original. He happened to find the stage mainly 
abandoned in its comic underplots and interludes to 
the coarse buffoonery of barren-witted clowns, who ex- 
cited the laughter of their audiences by jokes as coarse 
and practical as may be now witnessed in a modern 
circus. From the coarse farce of Ga77imer GurtorCs 
Needle to Launce and Speed was a gigantic stride, even 
with reference to the probability' of the scene, although 
fastidious criticism may still find ample cause for ob- 
jection. But it is now too late to protest against the 
improbability or the coarseness of Launce and his dog 
Crab. They have both of them become real and living 
persons of the great world of fictitious realit}^, and must 
continue to amuse generation after generation, along 
with Sancho and Dapple, Clinker and Chowder, and 
many other squires and dogs of high and low degree, 
whom ' posterity will not willingly let die.' 

'' Upon the whole, the Two Gentlemen of Verona^ what- 
ever rank of merit may be assigned to it by critics, will 
always be read and studied with deeper interest than 
it can probably excite as a mere literary performance, 
because it exhibits to us the great dramatist at a most 
interesting point in his career, giving striking, but imper- 
fect and irregular, indications of his future powers.'* 



TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA 



DRAMATIS PERSONS 

Duke of Milan, Father to Silvia. 

PHO?EuT' I "—«-"=-- 

Antonio, Father to Proteus. 
Thurio, a foolish rival to Valentine. 
Eglamour, Agent for Silvia in her escape. 
Host, where Julia lodges. 
Outlaws, with Valentine. 
Speed, a clownish servant to Valentine. 
Launce, the like to Proteus. 
Panthino, Servant to Antonio. 

Julia, beloved of Proteus. 
Silvia, beloved of Valentine. 
LuCETTA, Waiting-woman to Julia. 

Servants, Musicians, 

Scene: Verona ; Milan ; a forest iiear Milan. 







Open Place in Verona 



ACT I 

Scene I. Verona, An Open Place 

Enter Valentine and Proteus ( 

I 
Valentine, Cease to persuade, my loving Proteus ; 

Home-keeping youth have ever homely wits. 

Were 't not affection chains thy tender days 

To the sweet glances of thy honour'd love, 

I rather would entreat thy company 

To see the wonders of the world abroad 

Than, living dully sluggardiz'd at home, 

Wear out thy youth with shapeless idleness. 

But since thou lov'st, love still and thrive therein, 

Even as I would when I do love begin. lo 

Proteus, Wilt thou be gone ? Sweet Valentine, 

adieu ! 

TWO GENTLEMEN — 2 1 7 



1 8 Two Gentlemen of Verona [Act i 

Think on thy Proteus when thou haply seest 

Some rare noteworthy object in thy travel ; 

Wish me partaker in thy happiness 

\Mien thou dost meet good hap : and in thy danger. 

If ever danger do environ thee. 

Commend thy grievance to my holy prayers, 

For I will be thy beadsman, Valentine. 

Valentine, And on a love-book pray for my success ? 

Proteus, Upon some book I love I *11 pray for thee. 

Valentine. That *s on some shallow story of deep 
love, — 21 

How young Leander cross'd the Hellespont. 

Proteus. That 's a deep story of a deeper love. 
For he was more than over shoes in love. 

Valentine, ^T is true : for you are over boots in love, 
And yet you never swim[i the Hellespont. 

Proteus. Over the boots ? nay. give me not the boots 

Valentine, Xo. I will not. for it boots thee not. 

Proteus. WTiat ? 

Valentine, To be in love, where scorn is bought with 
groans, 
Coy looks with heart-sore sighs, one fading moment's 
mirth 30 

With twenty watchful, weary, tedious nights. 
If hapl}- won, perhaps a hapless gain ; 
If lost, why then a grievous labour won ; 
However, but a folly bought with wit, 
Or else a wit by folly \-anquished. 

Proteus. So, by your circumstance, you call me fooL 



Scene I] Two Gentlemen of Verona 19 

Valentine. So, by your circumstance, I fear you '11 
prove. 

Proteus. 'T is love you cavil at ; I am not Love. 

Valentine. Love is your master, for he masters you ; 
And he that is so yoked by a fool, 40 

Methinks, should not be chronicled for wise. 

Proteus. Yet writers say, as in the sweetest bud 
The eating canker dwells, so eating love 
Inhabits in the finest wits of all. 

Valentine. And writers say, as the most forward bud 
Is eaten by the canker ere it blow. 
Even so by love the young and tender wit 
Is turn'd to folly, blasting in the bud, 
Losing his verdure even in the prime. 
And all the fair effects of future hopes. 50 

But wherefore waste I time to counsel thee 
That art a votary to fond desire ? 
Once more adieu ! my father at the road 
Expects my coming, there to see me shipp'd. 

Proteus. And thither will I bring thee, Valentine. 

Valentine. Sweet Proteus, no ; now let us take our 
leave. 
To Milan let me hear from thee by letters 
Of thy success in love, and what news else 
Betideth here in absence of thy friend ; 
And I likewise will visit thee with mine. 60 

Proteus. All happiness bechance to thee in Milan ! 

Valentine. As much to you at home ! and so, fare- 
well \Exit, 



20 Two Gentlemen of Verona [Act i 

Proteus, He after honour hunts, I after love ; 
He leaves his friends to dignify them more ; 
I leave myself, my friends and all, for love. — 
Thou, Julia, thou hast metamorphos'd me, 
Made me neglect my studies, lose my time, 
War with good counsel, set the world at nought. 
Made wit with musing weak, heart sick with thought. 

Enter Speed 

Speed, Sir Proteus, save you ! Saw you my master ? 

Frotetis. But now he parted hence, to embark for 
Milan. 71 

Speed, Twenty to one then he is shipped already, 
And I have play'd the sheep in losing him. 

Proteus. Indeed, a sheep doth ver}^ often stray, 
An if the shepherd be a while away. 

Speed. You conclude that my master is a shepherd 
then, and I a sheep ? 

Proteus. I do. 

Speed. Why, then my horns are his horns, whether I 
wake or sleep. 

Proteus. A silly answer, and fitting well a sheep. 

Speed. This proves me still a sheep. 80 

Proteus. True, and thy master a shepherd. 

Speed. Nay, that I can deny by a circumstance. 

Proteus. It shall go hard but I '11 prove it by an- 
other. 

Speed. The shepherd seeks the sheep, and not 
the sheep the shepherd ; but I seek my master, 



Scene I] Two Gentlemen of Verona 21 

and my master seeks not me : therefore I am no 
sheep. 

Proteus. The sheep for fodder follow the shep- 
herd, the shepherd for food follows not the sheep ; 90 
thou for wages followest thy master, thy master for 
wages follows not thee : therefore thou art a sheep. 

Speed. Such another proof will make me cry baa. 

Proteus. But, dost thou hear ? gavest thou my let- 
ter to Julia ? 

Speed. Ay, sir ; I, a lost mutton, gave your letter 
to her, a laced mutton, and she, a laced mutton, gave 
me, a lost mutton, nothing for my labour. 

Proteus. Here 's too small a pasture for such 
store of muttons. 100 

Speed. If the ground be overcharged, you were 
best stick her. 

Proteus. Nay, in that you are astray ; 't were best • 
pound you. 

Speed. Nay, sir, less than a pound shall serve me 
for carrying your letter. 

Proteus. You mistake ; I mean the pound, — a 
pinfold. 

Speed. From a pound to a pin? fold it over and 
over, 
'T is threefold too little for carrying a letter to your 
lover. no 

Proteus. But what said she ? 

Speed. [First nodding] Ay. 

Proteus. Nod — ay — why, that 's noddy. 



2 2 Two Gentlemen of Verona [Act 1 

Speed. You mistook, sir. I say she did nod, and 
you ask me if she did nod ; and I say ay. 

P?'oteus. And that set together is noddy. 

Speed, Now you have taken the pains to set it 
together, take it for your pains. 

Proteus. No, no ; you shall have it for bearing 
the letter. - 120 

Speed. Well, I perceive I must be fain to bear 
with you. 

Proteus, ^\^ly, sir, how do you bear with me ? 

Speed. Marr}% sir, the letter, ver}' orderly ; having 
nothing but the word noddy for my pains. 

Proteus. Beshrew me. but you have a quick wit. 

Speed. And yet it cannot overtake your slow purse. 

Proteus. Come, come, open the matter in brief ; 
what said she ? 

Speed. Open your purse, that the money and the 
matter may be both at once deHvered. 131 

Proteus, Well, sir, here is for your pains. What 
said she ? 

Speed. Truly, sir, I think you '11 hardly van her. 

Proteus. Why, couldst thou perceive so much 
from her ? 

Speed. Sir, I could perceive nothing at all from 
her, no, not so much as a ducat for delivering your 
letter ; and being so hard to me that brought your 
mind, I fear she '11 prove as hard to you in telling 
your mind. Give her no token but stones, for she 's 
as hard as steel. 142 



Scene II] Two Gentlemen of Verona 23 

Proteus, What, said she nothing ? 

Speed, No, not so much as ^ Take this for thy 
pains.' To testify your bounty, I thank you, you 
have testerned me, in requital whereof henceforth 
carry your letters yourself ; and so, sir, I '11 commend 
you to my master. 

Proteus. Go, go, be gone, to save your ship from 
wrack, 
Which cannot perish having thee aboard, 150 

Being destin'd to a drier death on shore. — \_Exit Speed. 
I must go send some better messenger ; 
I fear my Julia would not deign my lines, 
Receiving them from such a worthless post. S^Exit. 

Scene II. The Same. Garden of Julians House 
Enter Julia and Lucetta 

Julia. But say, Lucetta, now we are alone, 
Wouldst thou then counsel me to fall in love ? 

Lucetta. Ay, madam, so you stumble not unheedfully. 

Julia. Of all the fair resort of gentlemen 
That every day with parle encounter me, 
In thy opinion which is worthiest love ? 

Lucetta. Please you repeat their names, I '11 show 
my mind 
According to my shallow simple skill. 

Julia. What think'st thou of the fair Sir Eglamour ? 

Lucetta. As of a knight well-spoken, neat, and fine ; 
But, were I you, he never should be mine, n 



24 Two Gentlemen of Verona [Act I 

Julia, What think'st thou of the rich Mercatio ? 

Lucetta. Well of his wealth, but of himself so so. 

Julia. What think'st thou of the gentle Proteus ? 

Lucetta, Lord, Lord 1 to see what folly reigns in us ! 

Julia, How now ! what means this passion at his 
name ? 

Lucetta, Pardon, dear madam ; 't is a passing shame 
That I, unworthy body as I am, 
Should censure thus on lovely gentlemen. 

Julia. Why not on Proteus, as of all the rest ? 20 

Lucetta. Then thus, — of many good I think him best. 

Julia. Your reason ? 

Lucetta. I have no other but a woman's reason ; 
I think him so because I think him so. 

Julia. And wouldst thou have me cast my love on 
him? 

Lucetta, Ay, if you thought your love not cast away. 

Julia, Why, he, of all the rest, hath never mov'd me. 

Lucetta. Yet he, of all the rest, I think, best loves ye. 

Julia, His little speaking shows his love but small. 

Lucetta, Fire that 's closest kept burns most of all. 30 

Julia. They do not love that do not show their love. 

Lucetta. O, they love least that let men know their 
love. 

Julia. I would I knew his mind. 

Lucetta. Peruse this paper, madam. 

Julia. ' To Julia.' — Say, from whom ? 

Lucetta. That the contents will show. 

Julia. Say, say, who gave it thee ? 



Scene II] Two Gentlemen of Verona 25 

Lucetta. Sir Valentine's page ; and sent, I think, from 
Proteus. 
He would have given it you, but I, being in the way, 
Did in your name receive it ; pardon the fault, I pray. 

Julia, Now, by my modesty, a goodly broker 1 41 

Dare you presume to harbour wanton lines ? 
To whisper and conspire against my youth ? 
Now, trust me, 't is an office of great worth. 
And you an officer fit for the place. 
There, take the paper ; see it be return 'd. 
Or else return no more into my sight. 

Lucetta, To plead for love deserves more fee than 
hate. 

Julia, Will ye be gone ? 

Lucetta, That you may ruminate. 

\Exit. 

Julia, And yet I would I had o'erlook'd the letter. 
It were a shame to call her back again 51 

And pray her to a fault for which I chid her. 
What fool is she, that knows I am a maid. 
And would not force the letter to my view 1 
Since maids in modesty say no to that \ 

Which they would have the profferer construe ay. 
Fie, fie, how wayward is this foolish love, • 

That, like a testy babe, will scratch the nurse \ 

And presently all humbled kiss the rod ! 
How churlishly I chid Lucetta hence, 60 

When willingly I would have had her here! 
How anger ly I taught my brow to frown. 



26 Two Gentlemen of Verona [Act i 

When inward joy enforc'd my heart to smile ! 
My penance is to call Lucetta back 
And ask remission for my folly past. — 
What ho 1 Lucetta ! 

Re-enter Lucetta 

Lucetta. What would your ladyship ? 

Julia. Is 't near dinner-time ? 

Lucetta. I would it were, 

That you might kill your stomach on your meat 
And not upon your maid. 

Julia. What is 't that you took up so gingerly ? 70 

Lucetta, Nothing. 

Julia. Why didst thou stoop, then ? 

Lucetta. To take a paper up that I let fall. 

Julia. And is that paper nothing ? 

Lucetta. Nothing concerning me. 

Julia. Then let it lie for those that it concerns. 

Lucetta. Madam, it will not lie where it concerns, 
Unless it have a false interpreter. 

Julia. Some love of yours hath writ to you in rhyme. 

Lucetta. That I might sing it, madam, to a tune. 80 
Give me a note ; your ladyship can set. 

Julia. As little by such toys as may be possible. 
Best sing it to the tune of ' Light o' love.' 

Lucetta. It is too heavy for so light a tune. 

Julia. Heavy ! belike it hath some burden then ? 

Lucetta. Ay, and melodious were it, would you sing it. 

Julia. .And why not you ? 



Scene II] Two Gentlemen of Verona 27 

Lucetta. I cannot reach so high. 

Julia, Let 's see your song. How now, minion ! 

Lucetta, Keep tune there still, so you will sing it out ; 
And yet methinks I do not like this tune. 90 

Julia. You do not ? 

Lucetta, No, madam, it is too sharp. 

Julia, You, minion, are too saucy. 

Lucetta, Nay, now you are too flat. 
And mar the concord with too harsh a descant ; 
There wanteth but a mean to fill your song. 

Julia, The mean is drown 'd with your unruly base. 

Lucetta, Indeed, I bid the base for Proteus. 

Julia, This babble shall not henceforth trouble me. 
Here is a coil with protestation ! {Tears the letter. 

Go get you gone and let the papers lie ; 100 

You would be fingering them to anger me. 

Lucetta. She makes it strange, but she would be best 
pleas 'd 
To be so anger'd with another letter. \Exit. 

Julia, Nay, would I were so anger'd with the same 1 

hateful hands, to tear such loving words ! 
Injurious wasps, to feed on such sweet honey, 
And kill the bees that yield it with your stings ! 

1 '11 kiss each several paper for amends. 

Look, here is writ ^ kind Julia.' — Unkind Julia I 

As in revenge of thy ingratitude, no 

I throw thy name against the bruising stones, 

Trampling contemptuously on thy disdain. 

And here is writ ' love-wounded Proteus.' — 



28 Two Gentlemen of Verona [Act I 

Poor wounded name ! my bosom as a bed 

Shall lodge thee till thy wound be throughly heal'd ; 

And thus I search it with a sovereign kiss. 

But twice or thrice was ' Proteus ' written down. — 

Be calm, good wind, blow not a word away 

Till I have found each letter in the letter, 

Except mine own name ; that some whirlwind bear 120 

Unto a ragged fearful-hanging rock 

And throw it thence into the raging sea ! — 

Lo ! here in one line is his name twice writ, 

* Poor forlorn Proteus, passionate Proteus, 

To the sweet Julia ; ' that I '11 tear away, — 

And yet I will not, sith so prettily 

He couples it to his complaining names. 

Thus will I fold them one upon another. — 

Now kiss, embrace, contend, do what you will. 

Re-ente?' Lucetta 

Lucetta, Madam, 130 

Dinner is ready and your father stays. 

Julia, Well, let us go. 

Lucetta, What, shall these papers lie like tell-tales 
here ? 

Julia, If you respect them, best to take them up. 

Lucetta. Nay, I was taken up for laying them down ; 
Yet here they shall not lie, for catching cold. 

Julia, I see you have a month's mind to them. 

Lucetta, Ay, madam, you may say what sights you 
see : 



Scene III] Two Gentlemen of Verona 29 

I see things too, although you judge I wink. 139 

Julia. Come, come ; will 't please you go? \_Exeunt. 



Scene III. The Same. Antonio's House 
Enter Antonio and Panthino 

Antonio, Tell me, Panthino, what sad talk was that 
Wherewith my brother held you in the cloister ? 

Panthino. T was of his nephew Proteus, your son. 

Antonio. Why, what of him ? 

Panthino. He w^onder'd that your lordship 

Would suffer him to spend his youth at home, ^ 

While other men, of slender reputation, 
Put forth their sons to seek preferment out : 
Some to the wars to try their fortune there ; 
Some to discover islands far away ; 
Some to the studious universities. \ 10 

For any or for all these exercises I 

He said that Proteus your son was meet, 
And did request me to importune you 
To let him spend his time no more at home. 
Which would be great impeachment to his age, 
In having known no travel in his youth. 

Antonio. Nor need'st thou much importune me to 
that 
Whereon this month I have been hammering. 
I have consider'd well his loss of time, 
And how he cannot be a perfect man, 20 

Not being tried and tutor'd in the world. 



30 Two Gentlemen of Verona [Act I 

Experience is by industry achieved 

And perfected by the swift course of time. 

Then tell me, whither were I best to send him ? 

Panthino, I think your lordship is not ignorant 
How his companion, youthful Valentine, 
Attends the emperor in his royal court. 

Antonio, I know it well. 

Panthino, 'T were good, I think, your lordship sent 
him thither ; 
There shall he practise tilts and tournaments, 30 

Hear sweet discourse, converse with noblemen. 
And be in eye of every exercise 
Worthy his youth and nobleness of birth. 

Antonio, I like thy counsel, well hast thou advis'd ; 
And that thou mayst perceive how well I like it 
The execution of it shall make known. 
Even with the speediest expedition 
I will dispatch him to the emperor's court. 

Panthino, To-morrow, may it please you, Don Al- 
phonso 
With other gentlemen of good esteem 40 

Are journeying to salute the emperor 
And to commend their service to his will. 

Antonio, Good company ; with them shall Proteus go. 
And — in good time ! — now will we break with him. 

Enter Proteus 

Proteus, Sweet love ! sweet lines ! sweet life ! 
Here is her hand, the agent of her heart ; 



Scene III] Two Gentlemen of Verona 3 1 

Here is her oath for love, her honour's pawn. 
O, that our fathers would applaud our loves, 
To seal our happiness with their consents ! 

heavenly Julia ! 50 
Antonio. How now ! what letter are you reading 

there ? 

Proteus. May 't please your lordship, 't is a word or 
two 
Of commendations sent from Valentine, 
Deliver'd by a friend that came from him. 

Antonio. Lend me the letter ; let me see what news. 

Proteus. There is no news, my lord, but that he writes 
How happily he Hves, how well belov'd 
And daily graced by the emperor, 
Wishing me with him, partner of his fortune. 

Antonio. And how stand you affected to his wish ? 

Proteus. As one relying on your lordship's will, 61 
And not depending on his friendly wish. 

Antonio. My will is something sorted with his >vish. 
Muse not that I thus suddenly proceed. 
For what I will, I will, and there an end. 

1 am resolv'd that thou shalt spend some time 
With Valentinus in the emperor's court. 
What maintenance he from his friends receives, 
Like exhibition thou shalt have from me. 
To-morrow be in readiness to go ; 70 
Excuse it not, for I am peremptory. 

Proteus. My lord, I cannot be so soon provided ; 
Please you, deliberate a day or two. 



32 Two Gentlemen of Verona [Act i 

Antonio, Look, what thou want'st shall be sent after 
thee ; 
No more of stay ! to-morrow thou must go. — 
Come on, Panthino ; you shall be employed 
To hasten on his expedition. 

\_Exeunt Antonio and Panthino, 

Proteus. Thus have I shunn'd the fire for fear of 
burning, 
And drench'd me in the sea, where I am drown'd. 
I fear'd to show my father Julia's letter, 80 

Lest he should take exceptions to my love ; 
And with the vantage of mine own excuse 
Hath he excepted most against my love. 
O, how this spring of love resembleth / 

The uncertain glory of an April day, i 

Which now shows all the beauty of the sun, ■ 

And by and by a cloud takes all away ! 

Re-enter Panthino ^ 

Panthino, Sir Proteus, your father calls for you. 

He is in haste ; therefore, I pray you, go. 89 

Proteus, Why, this it is : my heart accords thereto. 

And yet a thousand times it answers no. \Exeunt, 




Room in Ducal Palace, Milan 



ACT II 

Scene I. Milan, The Duke's Palace 

Enter Valentine and Speed 

Speed, Sir, your glove. 

Valentine. Not mine ; my gloves are on. 

Speed, Why, then, this may be yours, for this is but 

one. 
Valentine, Ha ! let me see ; ay, give it me, it 's 
mine. — 
Sweet ornament that decks a thing divine ! — 
Ah, Silvia, Silvia ! 

Speed, Madam Silvia I Madam Silvia I 

TWO GENTLEMEN — 3 12> 



34 Two Gentlemen of Verona [Act n 

Valentine, How now, sirrah ? 

Speed. She is not within hearing, sir. 

Valentine. Why, sir. who bade you call her ? 

Speed. Your worship, sir, or else I mistook. lo 

Valentine, Well, you *11 still be too forward. 

Speed, And yet I was last chidden for being too 
slow. 

Valentine. Go to., sir ; tell me, do you know Madam 
Silvia ? 

Speed, She that your worship loves ? i6 

Valentine. Why, how know you that I am in love ? 

Speed, Marry, by these special marks : first you 
have learned, like Sir Proteus, to wreathe your arms, 
like a malcontent ; to relish a love-song, like a robin- 
redbreast ; to walk alone, like one that had the pesti- 
lence ; to sigh, hke a school-boy that had lost his A 
B C ; to weep, Hke a young wench that had buried 
her grandam ; to fast, hke one that takes diet ; to 
watch, hke one that fears robbing ; to speak puling, 
like a beggar at Hallowmas. You were wont, when 
you laughed, to crow hke a cock ; when you walked, 
to walk like one of the hons ; when you fasted, it 
was presently after dinner ; when you looked sadly, 
it was for want of money ; and now you are meta- 
morphosed with a mistress, that, when I look on you, 
I can hardly think you my master. y. 

Valentine. Are all these things perceived in me ? 

Speed. They are all perceived without ye. 

Valentine. Without me ? they cannot 



Scene I] Two Gentlemen of Verona 35 

Speed. Without you ? nay, that 's certain, for, with- 
out you were so simple, none else would ; but you 
are so without these follies, that these follies are 
within you and shine through you like the water in 
an urinal, that not an eye that sees you but is a phy- 
sician to comment on your malady. 41 

Valentine, But tell me, dost thou know my lady 
Silvia ? 

Speed. She that you gaze on so as she sits at supper ? 

Vale7itine. Hast thou observ'd that? even she, I 
mean. 

Speed. Why, sir, I know her not. 

Valentine. Dost thou know her by my gazing on 
her, and yet knowest her not ? 

Speed. Is she not hard-favoured, sir ? 50 

Valentine. Not so fair, boy, as well-favoured. 

Speed. Sir, I know that well enough. 

Valentine. What dost thou know ? 

Speed, That she is not so fair as, of you, well 
favoured. 

Valentine. I mean that her beauty is exquisite, but 
her favour infinite. 

Speed. That 's because the one is painted and the 
other out of all count. 59 

Valentine. How painted ? and how out of count ? 

Speed. Marry, sir, so painted, to make her fair, 
that no man counts of her beauty. 

Valentine. How esteemest thou me ? I account 
of her beauty. 



^6 Two Gentlemen of Verona [Act ll 

Speed, You never saw her since she was deformed. 

Valentine. How long hath she been deformed ? 

Speed. Ever since you loved her. 

Valentine, I have loved her ever since I saw^ her, 
and still I see her beautiful. 

Speed, If you love her, you cannot see her. 70 

Valentine, WTiy? 

Speed. Because Love is blind. O, that you had 
mine eyes, or your o\\ti eyes had the lights they were 
wont to have when you chid at Sir Proteus for going 
ungartered ! 

Valentine. \\Tiat should I see then ? 

Speed. Your own present folly and her passing de- 
formity' ; for he, being in love, could not see to garter 
his hose, and you, being in love, cannot see to put on 
your hose. 80 

Valentine. Belike, bov, then, vou are in love, for 
last morning you could not see to wipe my shoes. 

Speed. True, sir. I was in love with my bed. I 
thank you, you swinged me for my love, which makes 
me the bolder to chide you for yours. 

Valentine. In conclusion, I stand affected to her. 

Speed. I would you were set, so your affection 
would cease. 

Valentine. Last night she enjoined me to write 
some lines to one she loves. 90 

Speed. And have you ? 

Valentine. I have. 

Speed. Are they not lamely writ ? 



Scene I] Two Gentlemen of Verona 37 

Valentine. No, boy, but as well as I can do them. — 
Peace ! here she comes. 

Speed, \Aside'\ O excellent motion ! O exceeding 
puppet I Now will he interpret to her. 

Enter Silvia 

Valentine, Madam and mistress, a thousand good- 
morrows. 

Speed, \_Aside'\ O, give ye good even I here 's a 
million of manners. loi 

Silvia. Sir Valentine and servant, to you two thou- 
sand. 

Speed. \^Aside'\ He should give her interest, and she 
gives it him. 

Valentine. As you enjoined me, I have writ your 
letter 
Unto the secret nameless friend of yours. 
Which I was much unwilling to proceed in 
But for my duty to your ladyship. 

Silvia, I thank you, gentle servant ; 't is very clerkly 
done. 110 

Valentine. Now trust me, madam, it came hardly off ; 
For, being ignorant to whom it goes, 
I writ at random, very doubtfully. 

Silvia, Perchance you think too much of so much 
pains ? ^ 

Valentine. No, madam ; so it stead you, I will write. 
Please you command, a thousand times as much ; 
And yet — 



38 Two Gentlemen of Verona [Act il 

Silvia, A pretty period ! Well, I guess the sequel ; 
And yet I will not name it ; — and yet I care not ; — 
And yet take this again ; — and yet I thank you, 120 
Meaning henceforth to trouble you no more. 

Speed. [Aside'] And yet you will ; and yet another yet. 

Valentine. What means your ladyship? do you not 
like it ? 

Silvia, Yes, yes ; the lines are very quaintly writ, 
But since unwillingly, take them again. 
Nay, take them. 

Valentine. Madam, they are for you. 

Silvia. Ay, ay ; you writ them, sir, at my request, 
But I will none of them, they are for you. 
I would have had them writ more movingly. 130 

Valentine, Please you, I '11 write your ladyship an- 
other. 

Silvia, And when it 's writ, for my sake read it over, 
And if it please you, so ; if not, why, so. 

Valentine, If it please me, madam, what then ? 

Silvia. Why, if it please you, take it for your labour. 
And so, good morrow, servant. [Exit. 

Speed. O jest unseen, inscrutable, invisible. 
As a nose on a man's face, or a weathercock on a 

steeple ! 
My master sues to her, and she hath taught her suitor. 
He being her pupil, to become her tutor. 140 

O excellent device ! was there ever heard a better, 
That my master, being scribe, to himself should write 
the letter ? 



Scene I] Two Gentlemen of Verona 39 

Valentine, How now, sir ? what are you reasoning 
with yourself ? 

Speed. Nay, I was rhyming ; 't is you that have 
the reason. 

Valentine, To do what ? 

Speed, To be a spokesman for Madam Silvia. 

Valentine, To whom ? 

Speed, To yourself; why, she wooes you by a 
figure. 151 

Valentine, What figure ? 

Speed, By a letter, I should say. 

Valentine, Why, she hath not writ to me ? 

Speed, What need she, when she hath made you 
write to yourself? Why, do you not perceive the 
jest? 

Valentine, No, believe me. 

Speed, No believing you, indeed, sir. But did you 
perceive her earnest ? 160 

Valentine, She gave me none, except an angry word. 

Speed, Why, she hath given you a letter. 

Valentine, That 's the letter I writ to her friend. 

Speed, And that letter hath she delivered, and there 
an end. 

Valentine, I would it were no worse. 

Speed, I '11 warrant you, 't is as well ; 

For often have you writ to her, and she, in modesty, 
Or else for want of idle time, could not again reply ; 
Or fearing else some messenger that might her mind 
discover, 



40 Two Gentlemen of Verona [Act il 

Herself hath taught her love himself to write unto her 

lover. — 
All this I speak in print, for in print I found it. — 170 
Why muse you, sir ? 't is dinner-time. 

Valentine, I have dined. 

Speed, Ay, but hearken, sir ; though the chameleon 
Love can feed on the air, I am one that am nourished 
by my victuals and would fain have meat. O, be not 
like your mistress ! be moved, be moved. [Exeunt. 

Scene II. Verona, Julia'' s House 
Enter Proteus and Julia 

Proteus, Have patience, gentle Julia. 

Julia. I must, where is no remedy. 

Proteus. When possibly I can, I will return. 

Julia. If you turn not, you will return the sooner. 
Keep this remembrance for thy Julia's sake. 

[ Giving a ring, 

Proteus. Why, then, we '11 make exchange ; here, 
take you this. 

Julia. And seal the bargain with a holy kiss. 

Proteus. Here is my hand for my true constancy ; 
And when that hour o'erslips me in the day 
Wherein I sigh not, Julia, for thy sake, 10 

The next ensuing hour some foul mischance 
Torment me for my love's forgetfulness 1 
My father stays my coming; answer not. 
The tide is now — nay, not thy tide of tears ; 



Scene III] Two Gentlemen of Verona 41 

That tide will stay me longer than I should. 

Julia, farewell ! — [Exit Julia, 

What, gone without a word ? 
Ay, so true love should do ; it cannot speak, I 

For truth hath better deeds than words to grace it. I 

Enter Panthino 

Fanthino. Sir Proteus, you are stay'd for. 
Proteus. Go ; I come, I come. — 20 

Alas ! this parting strikes poor lovers dumb. [Exeunt, 

Scene III. The Same, A Street 

Enter Launce, leading a dog 

Launce, Nay, 't will be this hour ere I have done 
weeping ; all the kind of the Launces have this very 
fault. I have received my proportion, like the pro- 
digious son, and am going with Sir Proteus to the 
Imperial's court. I think Crab my dog be the sour- 
est-natured dog that lives ; my mother weeping, my 
father wailing, my sister crying, our maid howling, our 
cat wringing her hands, and all our house in a great 
perplexity, yet did not this cruel-hearted cur shed 
one tear. He is a stone, a very pebble stone, and 10 
has no more pity in him than a dog. A Jew would 
have wept to have seen our parting ; why, my gran- 
dam, having no eyes, look you, wept herself blind 
at my parting. Nay, I '11 show you the manner of 
it. This shoe is my father, — no, this left shoe is I 



42 Two Gentlemen of Verona [Act ii 

my father; — no. no. this left shoe is my mother, 

— nay, that cannot be so neither : — yes, it is so, it 
is so, it hath the worser sole. This shoe, with the 
hole in it, is my mother, and this my father. A ven- 
geance on *t I there 't is : now. sir, this staff is my 20 
sister, for. look 3^ou, she is as vrhite as a lily and as 
small as a wand ; this hat is Xan, om* maid ; I am 
the dog ; — no, the dog is himself, and I am the dog 

— 1 the dog is me. and I am myself: ay. so. so. 
Now come I to my father : Father, your blessing. 
Now should not the shoe speak a word for weeping ; 
now should I kiss my father : well, he weeps on. 
Now come I to my motlier : — O, that she could 
speak now like an old woman ! Well, I kiss her ; 
why, there 't is : here 's my mother's breath up and 30 
down. Now come I to my sister; mark the moan she 
makes. Now the dog all this while sheds not a tear 
nor speaks a word ; but see how^ I lay tlie dust with 
my tears. 

Enfe?' Paxthino 

Panthino. Launce. away, away, aboard I thy master 
is shipped and thou art to post after with oars. 
What 's the matter ? why weepest thou, man ? 
Away, ass ! you "11 lose the tide, if you tarry any 
longer. 

Lauiice, It is no matter if the tied were lost ; for 40 
it is the unkindest tied that ever any man tied. 

Paiithino. What *s the unkindest tide ? 



Scene IV] Two Gentlemen of Verona 43 

Lau7ice. Why, he that 's tied here, Crab, my dog. 

Panthino. Tut, man, I mean thou 'It lose the 
flood, and, in losing the flood, lose thy voyage, and, 
in losing thy voyage, lose thy master, and, in los- 
ing thy master, lose thy service, and, in losing thy 
service, — why dost thou stop my mouth ? 

Launce. For fear thou shouldst lose thy tongue. 

Panthino, Where should I lose my tongue ? 50 

Launce. In thy tale. 

Panthino, In thy tail ! 

Launce, Lose the tide, and the voyage, and the 
master, and the service, and the tied I Why, man, 
if the river were dry, I am able to fill it with my 
tears ; if the wind were down, I could drive the boat 
with my sighs. 

Panthino, Come, come away, man ; I was sent to 
call thee. 

Launce. Sir, call me what thou darest. 60 

Panthino. Wilt thou go ? 

Launce. Well, I will go. \Exeunt. 

Scene IV. Milan. The Duke's Palace 

Enter Silvia, Valentine, Thurio, and Speed 

Silvia. Servant ! 

Valentine. Mistress ? 

Speed. Master, Sir Thurio frowns on you. 

Valentine. Ay, boy, it 's for love. 

Speed. Not of you. 



44 Two Gentlemen of Verona [Act li 

Valentine, Of my mistress, then. 

Speed, 'T were good you knocked him. \_Exit. 

Silvia, Servant, you are sad. 

Valentine, Indeed, madam, I seem so. 

Thiirio. Seem you that you are not ? lo 

Valentine. Haply I do. 

Thurio. So do counterfeits. 

Valentine. So do you. 

Thurio. What seem I that I am not ? 

Valentine, Wise. 

Thurio. What instance of the contrar}- ? 

Valentine. Your folly. 

Thurio. And how quote you my folly ? 

Valentine. I quote it in your jerkin. 

Thurio. My jerkin is a doublet. 20 

Valentine. Well, then, 1 11 double your folly. 

Thurio, How ? 

Silvia. What, angry. Sir Thurio ! do you change 
colour ? 

Valentine. Give him leave, madam ; he is a kind 
of chameleon. 

Thurio. That hath more mind to feed on your 
blood than live in your air. 

Valentine, You have said, sir. 

Thurio. Ay, sir, and done too, for this time. 30 

Valentine. I know it well, sir ; you always end ere 
you begin. 

Silvia. A fine volley of words, gentlemen, and 
quickly shot off. 



Scene IV] Two Gentlemen of Verona 45 

Valentine, 'T is indeed, madam ; we thank the giver. 

Silvia. Who is that, servant ? 

Valentine. Yourself, sweet lady ; for you gave the 
fire. Sir Thurio borrows his wit from your ladyship's 
looks, and spends what he borrows kindly in your 
company. 40 

Thurio, Sir, if you spend word for word with me, 
I shall make your wit bankrupt. 

Valentine. I know it well, sir ; you have an ex- 
chequer of words, and, I think, no other treasure to 
give your followers, for it appears, by their bare 
liveries, that they live by your bare words. 

Silvia. No more, gentlemen, no more ; here comes 
my father. ^ 

Enter Duke 

Duke. Now, daughter Silvia, you are hard beset. — 
Sir Valentine, your father 's in good health ; 50 

What say you to a letter from your friends 
Of much good news ? 

Valentine. My lord, I will be thankful 

To any happy messenger from thence. 

Duke. Know ye Don Antonio, your countryman ? 

Valentine. Ay, my good lord, I know the gentleman 
To be of worth and worthy estimation. 
And not without desert so well reputed. 

Duke. Hath he not a son ? 

Valentine, Ay, my good lord, a son that well de- 
serves 
The honour and regard of such a father. 60 



46 Two Gentlemen of Verona [Act ll 

Duke, You know him well ? 

Valentine. I know him as myself, for from our in- 
fancy 
We have convers'd and spent our hours together ; 
And though myself have been an idle truant, 
Omitting the sweet benefit of time 
To clothe mine age with angel-like perfection, 
Yet hath Sir Proteus, for that 's his name, 
Made use and fair advantage of his days ; 
His years but young, but his experience old ; 
His head unmellow'd, but his judgment ripe; 70 

And, in a word — for far behind his w^orth 
Comes all the praises that I now bestow — 
He is complete in feature and in mind 
With all good grace to grace a gentleman. 

Duke, Beshrew me, sir, but if he make this good 
He is as worthy for an empress' love 
As meet to be an emperor's counsellor. 
Well, sir, this gentleman is come to me. 
With commendation from great potentates. 
And here he means to spend his time awhile. 80 

I think 't is no unwelcome news to you. 

Valentine. Should I have wish'd a thing, it had been 
he. 

Duke. Welcome him then according to his worth. — 
Silvia, I speak to you, — and you, Sir Thurio. — 
For Valentine, I need not cite him to it. 
I will send him hither to you presently. \^Exit. 

r Valentine. This is the gentleman I told your ladyship 



Scene IV] Two Gentlemen . of Verona 47 

Had come along with me, but that his mistress 
Did hold his eyes lock'd in her crystal looks. 

Silvia. Belike that now she hath enfranchis'd them, 
Upon some other pawn for fealty. 91 

Valentine. Nay, sure, I think she holds them prison- 
ers still. 

Silvia. Nay, then he should be blind ; and, being 
blind, 
How could he see his way to seek out you ? 

Valentine. Why, lady. Love hath twenty pair of eyes. 

Thurio. They say that Love hath not an eye at all. 

Valentine, To see such lovers, Thurio, as yourself ; 
Upon a homely object Love can wink. 

Silvia. Have done, have done; here comes the 
gentleman. {Exit Thurio. 

Enter Proteus 

Valentine, Welcome, dear Proteus ! — Mistress, I be- 
seech you, 100 
Confirm his welcome with some special favour. 

Silvia. His worth is warrant for his welcome hither. 
If this be he you oft have wish'd to hear from. 

Valentine. Mistress, it is. Sweet lady, entertain him 
To be my fellow-servant to your ladyship. 

Silvia, Too low a mistress for so high a servant. 

Proteus. Not so, sweet lady, but too mean a servant 
To have a look of such a worthy mistress. 

Valentine. Leave off discourse of disability. — 
Sweet lady, entertain him for your servant. no 



48 Two Gentlemen of Verona [Act il 

Proteus, My duty will I boast of, nothing else. 
Silvia, And duty never yet did want his meed. 
Servant, you are welcome to a worthless mistress. 
Proteus, I '11 die on him that says so but yourself. 
Silvia, That you are welcome ? 
Proteus. That you are worthless. 

Re-enter Thurio 

Thurio. Madam, my lord your father would speak 

with you. 
Silvia, I wait upon his pleasure. Come, Sir Thurio, 
Go with me. — Once more, new servant, welcome. 
I '11 leave you to confer of home affairs ; 
When you have done, w^e look to hear from you. 120 
Proteus, We '11 both attend upon your ladyship. 

\Exeunt Silvia and Thurio, 
Valentine, Now, tell me, how do all from whence 

you came ? 
Proteus, Your friends are well and have them much 

commended. 
Valentine, And how do yours ? 

Proteus. I left them all in health. 

Valentine. How does your lady? and how thrives 

your love ? 
Proteus, My tales of love were wont to weary you ; 
I know you joy not in a love-discourse. 

Valentine, Ay, Proteus, but that life is alter 'd now. 
I have done penance for contemning Love, 
Whose high imperious thoughts have punish 'd me 130 



Scene IV] Two Gentlemen of Verona 49 

With bitter fasts, with penitential groans, 

With nightly tears, and daily heart-sore sighs ; 

For, in revenge of my contempt of love. 

Love hath chas'd sleep from my enthralled eyes 

And made them watchers of mine own heart's sorrow. 

O gentle Proteus, Love 's a mighty lord, 

And hath so humbled me as I confess 

There is no woe to his correction, 

Nor to his service no such joy on earth. 

Now no discourse, except it be of love ; 140 

Now can I break my fast, dine, sup, and sleep, 

Upon the very naked name of love. 

Proteus, Enough ; I read your fortune in your eye. 
Was this the idol that you worship so ? 

Valentine. Even she ; and is she not a heavenly saint ? 

Proteus. No ; but she is an earthly paragon. 

Valentine. Call her divine. 

Proteus. I will not flatter her. 

Valentine. O, flatter me, for love delights in praises. 

Proteus. When I was sick, you gave me bitter pills, 
And I must minister the like to you. 150 

Valentine. Then speak the truth by her; if not 
divine, 
Yet let her be a principality. 
Sovereign to all the creatures on the earth. 

Proteus. Except my mistress. 

Valentine. Sweet, except not any. 

Except thou wilt except against my love. 

Proteus. Have I not reason to prefer mine own ? 

TWO GENTLEMEN — 4 



50 Two Gentlemen of Verona [Act ii 

Valentme, And I will help thee to prefer her too ; 
She shall be dignified with this high honour, — 
To bear my lady's train, lest the base earth 
Should from her vesture chance to steal a kiss, i6o 

And, of so great a favour growing proud. 
Disdain to root the summer-swelling flower. 
And make rough winter everlastingly. 

Proteus. Why, Valentine, what braggardism is this ? 

, Valentine, Pardon me, Proteus, all I can is nothing 
To her whose worth makes other worthies nothing ; 
She is alone. 

Proteus. Then let her alone. 

Valentine. Not for the world I Why, man, she is mine 
own. 
And I as rich in having such a jewel 
As twenty seas, if all their sand were pearl, 170 

The water nectar, and the rocks pure gold. 
Forgive me that I do not dream on thee, 
Because thou see'st me dote upon my love. 
My foolish rival, that her father likes 
Only for his possessions are so huge. 
Is gone with her along, and I must after, 
For love, thou know'st, is full of jealousy. 

Proteus. But she loves you ? 

Valentine, Ay, and we are betroth'd ; nay, more, our 
marriage-hour, 
With all the cunning manner of our flight, 180 

Determin'd of, — how I must climb her window, 
The ladder made of cords, and all the means 



Scene IV] Two Gentlemen of Verona 51 

Plotted and greed on for my happiness. 

Good Proteus, go with me to my chamber, 

In these affairs to aid me with thy counsel. 

Proteus, Go on before ; I shall inquire you forth. 

I must unto the road, to disembark 

Some necessaries that I needs must use, 

And then I '11 presently attend you. 

Valentine, Will you make haste ? 190 

Proteus. I will. — \Exit Valentine, 

Even as one heat another heat expels. 

Or as one nail by strength drives out another, 

So the remembrance of my former love 

Is by a newer object quite forgotten. 

Is it mine eye, or Valentinus' praise, 

Her true perfection, or my false transgression, 

That makes me reasonless to reason thus ? 

She is fair ; and so is Julia that I love — 

That I did love, for now my love is thaw'd, 200 

Which, like a waxen image 'gainst a fire. 

Bears no impression of the thing it was. 

Methinks my zeal to Valentine is cold. 

And that I love him not as I was wont. 

O, but I love his lady too too much. 

And that 's the reason I love him so little. 

How shall I dote on her with more advice 

That thus without advice begin to love her ! 

'T is but her picture I have yet beheld, 

And that hath dazzled my reason's light ; 210 

But when I look on her perfections, 



52 Two Gentlemen of Verona [Act n 

There is no reason but I shall be bhnd. 

If I can check my erring love, I will ; 

If not, to compass her I ''11 use my skill. [Exit. 



Scene V. T/ie Same. A Street 
Enter Speed a?id Launxe severally 

Speed, Launce ! by mine honest}', welcome to 
Milan ! 

Lataice. Forswear not thyself, sweet youth, for I 
am not welcome. I reckon this always, — that a man 
is never undone till he be hanged, nor never welcome 
to a place till some certain shot be paid and the 
hostess say welcome. 

Speed. Come on, you madcap, I '11 to the alehouse 
with you presently, where, for one shot of five pence, 
thou shall have five thousand welcomes. But, sirrah, lo 
how did thy master part wdth Madam Juha ? 

Lau7ice. Marr}^, after they closed in earnest, they 
parted very fairly in jest. 

Speed, But shall she marry him ? 

Launce, No. 

Speed, How then ? shall he marry her ? 

Laujice, No, neither. 

Speed, What, are they broken ? 

Launce, Xo, they are both as whole as a fish. 

Speed, Why, then, how stands the matter with 20 
them ? 



Scene V] Two Gentlemen of Verona ^^ 

Launce, Marry, thus : when it stands well with 
him it stands well with her. 

Speed, What an ass art thou ! I understand thee 
not. 

Launce, What a block art thou, that thou canst 
not 1 My staff understands me. 

Speed. What thou sayest ? 

Launce, Ay, and what I do too ; look thee, I '11 
but lean, and my staff understands me. 30 

Speed, It stands under thee, indeed. 

Launce. Why, stand-under and under-stand is all 
one. 

Speed. But tell me true, will 't be a match ? 

Launce. Ask my dog. If he say ay, it will ; if he 
say no, it will ; if he shake his tail and say nothing, 
it will. 

Speed, The conclusion is then that it will. 

Launce. Thou shalt never get such a secret from 
me but by a parable. 40 

Speed. 'T is well that I get it so. But, Launce, 
how sayest thou, that my master is become a nota- 
ble lover ? 

Launce. I never knew him otherwise. 

Speed. Than how ? 

Launce. A notable lubber, as thou reportest him 
to be. 

Speed. Why, thou whoreson ass, thou mistakest me. 

Launce, Why, fool, I meant not thee ; I meant thy 
master. 50 



54 Two Gentlemen of Verona [Act il 

Speed. I tell thee, my master is become a hot 
lover. 

Lau7ice, Why, I tell thee, I care not though he 
burn himself in love. If thou wilt, go with me to the 
alehouse ; if not, thou art an Hebrew, a Jew, and 
not worth the name of a Christian. 

Speed. Why? 

Launce, Because thou hast not so much charity 
in thee as to go to the ale with a Christian. Wilt 
thou go ? 60 

Speed. At thy service. [_Exeunt, 

Scene VI. The Same. TJie Duke's Palace 

Enter Proteus 

Proteus. To leave my Julia, shall I be forsworn ; 
To love fair Silvia, shall I be forsworn ; 
To wrong my friend, I shall be much forsworn ; 
And even that power which gave me first my oath 
Provokes me to this threefold perjury ; 
Love bade me swear, and Love bids me forswear. — 
O sweet-suggesting Love, it thou hast sinn'd. 
Teach me, thy tempted subject, to excuse it ! 
At first I did adore a twinkling star, 
But now I worship a celestial sun. 10 

Unheedful vows may heedfully be broken, 
And he wants wit that wants resolved will 
To learn his wit to exchange the bad for better. 
Fie, fie, unreverend tongue ! to call her bad, 



Scene VI] Two Gentlemen of Verona 55 

Whose sovereignty so oft thou hast preferr'd 

With twenty thousand soul-confirming oaths. 

I cannot leave to love, and yet I do ; 

But there I leave to love where I should love. 

Julia I lose and Valentine I lose. 

If I keep them, I needs must lose myself; 20 

If I lose them, thus find I by their loss 

For Valentine myself, for Julia Silvia. 

I to myself am dearer than a friend, 

For love is still most precious in itself ; 

And Silvia — witness Heaven, that made her fair 1 — 

Shows Julia but a swarthy Ethiope. 

I will forget that Julia is alive, 

Remembering that my love to her is dead ; 

And Valentine I '11 hold an enemy, 

Aiming at Silvia as a sweeter friend. 30 

I cannot now prove constant to myself 

Without some treachery us'd to Valentine. 

This night he meaneth with a corded ladder 

To climb celestial Silvia's chamber-window, 

Myself in counsel, his competitor. 

Now presently I '11 give her father notice 

Of their disguising and pretended flight, 

Who, all enrag'd, will banish Valentine, 

For Thurio he intends shall wed his daughter ; 

But, Valentine being gone, I '11 quickly cross 40 

By some sly trick blunt Thurio's dull proceeding. — 

Love, lend me wings to make my purpose swift. 

As thou hast lent me wit to plot this drift 1 \_Exit 



56 Two Gentlemen of Verona [Act 11 

Scene VII. Verona, Julia's House 
Enter Julia and Lucetta 

Julia, Counsel, Lucetta ; gentle girl, assist me ; 
And even in kind love I do conjure thee. 
Who art the table wherein all my thoughts 
Are visibly character'd and engrav'd, 
To lesson me and tell me some good mean 
How, with my honour, I may undertake 
A journey to my loving Proteus. 

Lucetta. Alas, the way is wearisome and long ! 

Julia, A true-devoted pilgrim is not weary 
To measure kingdoms with his feeble steps ; 10 

Much less shall she that hath Love's wings to fly, 
And when the flight is made to one so dear. 
Of such divine perfection, as Sir Proteus. 

Lucetta, Better forbear till Proteus make return. 

Julia. O, know'st thou not his looks are my soul's 
food? 
Pity the dearth that I have pined in, 
By longing for that food so long a time. 
Didst thou but know the inly touch of love, 
Thou wouldst as soon go kindle fire with snow 
As seek to quench the fire of love with words. 20 

Lucetta, I do not seek to quench your love's hot fire, 
But qualify the fire's extreme rage. 
Lest it should burn above the bounds of reason. 

Julia. The more thou damm'st it up, the more it 
burns. 



Scene VII] Two Gentlemen of Verona 57 

The current that with gentle murmur glides, 

Thou know'st, being stopp'd, impatiently doth rage ; 

But when his fair course is not hindered, 

He makes sweet music with the enamell'd stones, 

Giving a gentle kiss to every sedge 

He overtaketh in his pilgrimage, 30 

And so by many winding nooks he strays 

With willing sport to the wild ocean. 

Then let me go, and hinder not my course. 

I '11 be as patient as a gentle stream, 

And make a pastime of each weary step, 

Till the last step have brought me to my love ; 

And there I '11 rest, as after much turmoil 

A blessed soul doth in Elysium. 

Lucetta. But in what habit will you go along ? 

Julia, Not like a woman ; for I would prevent 40 
The loose encounters of lascivious men. 
Gentle Lucetta, fit me with such weeds 
As may beseem some well-reputed page. 

Lucetta, Why, then, your ladyship must cut your hair. 

Julia, No, girl ; I '11 knit it up in silken strings 
With twenty odd-conceited true-love knots. 
To be fantastic may become a youth 
Of greater time than I shall show to be. 

Lucetta, What fashion, madam, shall I make your 
breeches ? 

Julia, That fits as well as * Tell me, good my lord. 
What compass will you wear your farthingale ? ' 51 

Why, even what fashion thou best lik'st, Lucetta. 



58 Two Gentlemen of Verona [Act 11 

Lucetta, You must needs have them with a codpiece, 
madam. 

Julia, Out, out, Lucetta ! that will be ill-favour'd. 

Lucetta, A round hose, madam, now 's not worth a 
pin 
Unless you have a codpiece to stick pins on. 

Julia, Lucetta, as thou lov'st me, let me have 
What thou think'st meet and is most mannerly. 
But tell me, wench, how will the world repute me 
For undertaking so unstaid a journey ? 60 

I fear me, it will make me scandaliz'd. 

Lucetta, If you think so, then stay at home and go 
not. 

Julia, Nay, that I will not. 

Lucetta. Then never dream on infamy, but go. 
If Proteus like your journey when you come, 
No matter who 's displeas'd when you are gone. 
I fear me, he will scarce be pleas 'd withal. 

Julia. That is the least, Lucetta, of my fear. 
A thousand oaths, an ocean of his tears, 
And instances of infinite of love, 70 

Warrant me welcome to my Proteus. 

Lucetta, All these are servants to deceitful men. 

Julia, Base men, that use them to so base effect! 
But truer stars did govern Proteus' birth ; 
His words are bonds, his oaths are oracles, 
His love sincere, his thoughts immaculate. 
His tears pure messengers sent from his heart. 
His heart as far from fraud as heaven from earth. 



Scene vii] Two Gentlemen of Verona 59 

Lucetta, Pray heaven he prove so when you come to 

him ! 
Julia. Now, as thou lov'st me, do him not that 

wrong 80 

To bear a hard opinion of his truth. 
Only deserve my love by loving him ; 
And presently go with me to my chamber, 
To take a note of what I stand in need of, 
To furnish me upon my longing journey. 
All that is mine I leave at thy dispose, 
My goods, my lands, my reputation ; 
Only, in lieu thereof, dispatch me hence. 
Come, answer not, but to it presently 1 
I am impatient of my tarriance. \Exeunt, 




Street in Milan 



ACT III 

Scene I. Milan. The Duke^s Palace 
Enter Duke, Thurio, and Proteus 

Duke, Sir Thurio, give us leave, I pray, awhile ; 
We have some secrets to confer about. — \Exit Thurio, 
Now, tell me, Proteus, what 's your will with me ? 

Proteus, My gracious lord, that which I would dis- 
cover 
The law of friendship bids me to conceal ; 
But when I call to mind your gracious favours 
Done to me, undeserving as I am. 
My duty pricks me on to utter that 
Which else no worldly good should draw from me. 
Know, worthy prince, Sir Valentine, my friend, lo 

60 



Scene I] Two Gentlemen of Verona 6i 

This night intends to steal away your daughter ; 

Myself am one made privy to the plot. 

I know you have determin'd to bestow her 

On Thurio, whom your gentle daughter hates ; 

And should she thus be stolen away from you, 

It would be much vexation to your age. 

Thus, for my duty's sake, I rather chose 

To cross my friend in his intended drift 

Than by concealing it heap on your head 

A pack of sorrows which would press you down, 20 

Being unprevented, to your timeless grave. 

Duke. Proteus, I thank thee for thine honest care. 
Which to requite, command me while I live. 
This love of theirs myself have often seen. 
Haply when they have judg'd me fast asleep, 
And oftentimes have purposed to forbid 
Sir Valentine her company and my court ; 
But fearing lest my jealous aim might err, 
And so unworthily disgrace the man, 
A rashness that I ever yet have shunn'd, 30 

I gave him gentle looks, thereby to find 
That which thyself hast now disclos'd to me. 
And, that thou mayst perceive my fear of this. 
Knowing that tender youth is soon suggested, 
I nightly lodge her in an upper tower. 
The key whereof myself have ever kept ; 
And thence she cannot be convey'd away. 

Proteus. Know, noble lord, they have devis'd a mean 
How he her chamber-window will ascend, 



62 Two Gentlemen of Verona [Act ill 

And with a corded ladder fetch her down, 40 

For which the youthful lover now is gone, 

And this way comes he with it presently, 

Where, if it please you, you may intercept him. 

But, good my lord, do it so cunningly 

That my discovery be not aimed at ; 

For love of you, not hate unto my friend. 

Hath made me publisher of this pretence. 

Duke, Upon mine honour, he shall never know 
That I had any light from thee of this. 49 

Proteus. Adieu, my lord ; Sir Valentine is coming. 

\Exit. 
Enter Valentine 

Duke, Sir Valentine, whither away so fast ? 

Valentine, Please it your grace, there is a messenger 
That stays to bear my letters to my friends, 
And I am going to deliver them. 

Duke, Be they of much import ? 

Valentine, The tenor of them doth but signify 
My health and happy being at your court. 

Duke, Nay then, no matter ; stay with me awhile. 
I amx to break with thee of some affairs 
That touch me near, wherein thou must be secret. 60 
'T is not unknown to thee that I have sought 
To match my friend Sir Thurio to my daughter. 

Valentine, I know it well, my lord, and, sure, the 
match 
Were rich and honourable ; besides, the gentleman 
Is full of virtue, bounty, worth, and qualities 



Scene I] Two Gentlemen of Verona 63 

Beseeming such a wife as your fair daughter. 
Cannot your grace win her to fancy him ? 

Duke, No, trust me ; she is peevish, sullen, froward, ^ 
Proud, disobedient, stubborn, lacking duty, 
Neither regarding that she is my child 70 

Nor fearing me as if I were her father. 
And, may I say to thee, this pride of hers, 
Upon advice, hath drawn my love from her ; 
And, where I thought the remnant of mine age 
Should have been cherish 'd by her childlike duty, 
I now am full resolv'd to take a wife, 
And turn her out to who will take her in. 
Then let her beauty be her wxdding-dower, 
For me and my possessions she esteems not. 

Valentine, What would your grace have me to do in 
this ? 80 

Duke, There is a lady of Verona here 
Whom I affect ; but she is nice and coy, 
And nought esteems my aged eloquence. 
Now therefore would I have thee to my tutor — 
For long agone I have forgot to court ; 
Besides, the fashion of the time is chang'd — 
How and which way I may bestow myself 
To be regarded in her sun-bright eye. 

Valentine, Win her with gifts, if she respect not 
words. 
Dumb jewels often in their silent kind 90 

More than quick words do move a woman's mind. 

Duke, But she did scorn a present that I sent her. 



64 Two Gentlemen of Verona [Act iii 

Valeiitine, A woman sometimes scorns what best 
contents her. 
Send her another ; never give her o'er, / 

For scorn at first makes after-love the more. 
If she do frown, 't is not in hate of you, 
But rather to beget more love in you. 
If she do chide, 't is not to have you gone ; 
For why, the fools are mad if left alone. 
Take no repulse, whatever she doth say ; 100 

For * get you gone,' she doth not mean * away ! ' 
Flatter and praise, commend, extol their graces ; 
- Though ne'er so black, say they have angels' faces. 
I^That man that hath a tongue, I say, is no man, 
■ If with his tongue he cannot win a woman. 

Duke, But she I mean is promis'd by her friends 
Unto a youthful gentleman of worth, 
And kept severely from resort of men, 
That no man hath access by day to her. 109 

Valentine. Why, then, I would resort to her by night. 

Duke. Ay, but the doors be lock'd and keys kept safe, 
That no man hath recourse to her by night. 

Vale7itine. What lets but one may enter at her window ? 

Duke. Her chamber is aloft, far from the ground, 
And built so shelving that one cannot climb it 
Without apparent hazard of his lifCo 

Valentine. Why then, a ladder quaintly made of cords, 
To cast up, with a pair of anchoring hooks. 
Would serve to scale another Hero's tower. 
So bold Leander would adventure it. 120 



Scene I] Two Gentlemen of Verona 65 

Duke. Now, as thou art a gentleman of blood, 
Advise me where I may have such a ladder. 

Valentine, When would you use it? pray, sir, tell 

me that. 
Duke, This very night ; for Love is like a child, 
That longs for every thing that he can come by. 

Valentine, By seven o'clock I '11 get you such a 

ladder. 
Duke, But, hark thee ; I will go to her alone. 
How shall I best convey the ladder thither ? 

Valentine, It will be light, my lord, that you may 
bear it 
Under a cloak that is of any length. 130 

Duke, A cloak as long as thine will serve the 

turn? 
Valentine, Ay, my good lord. 

Duke, Then let me see thy cloak ; 

I '11 get me one of such another length. 

Valentine, Why, any cloak will serve the turn, my 

lord. 
Duke, How shall I fashion me to wear a cloak ? 
I pray thee, let me feel thy cloak upon me. — 
What letter is this same ? What 's here ? ' To Silvia I ' 
And here an engine fit for my proceeding. 
I '11 be so bold to break the seal for once. 
[Reads] * My thoughts do harbour with my Silvia nightly^ 
And slaves they are to me that se7id them flying, 141 
O^ could their master come and go as lightly^ 
Himself would lodge where senseless they are lying / 

TWO GENTLEMEN — 5 



66 Two Gentlemen of Verona [Act m 

My herald thoughts in thy pii7'e boso7?i rest them ; 
While /, their king, that hither the?n importune^ 

Do curse the grace that with such grace hath bless' d them ^ 
Because niyself do want my serva?its' fortune. 

I curse ?nyself,for they are sent by me, 

That they should harbour where their lord would be.'* 
What 's here ? 150 

^Silvia, this 7iight I will enfranchise thee.^ 
'T is so ; and here 's the ladder for the purpose. 
Why, Phaethon, — for thou art Merops' son, — 
W^ilt thou aspire to guide the heavenly car, 
And with thy daring folly burn the world ? 
Wilt thou reach stars because they shine on thee ? 
Go, base intruder ! ovenveening slave I 
Bestow thy fawning smiles on equal mates, 
And think my patience, more than thy desert. 
Is privilege for thy departure hence. 160 

Thank me for this more than for all the favours 
Which all too much I have bestow'd on thee. 
But if thou linger in my territories 
Longer than swiftest expedition 
Will give thee time to leave our royal court. 
By heaven ! my wrath shall far exceed the love 
I ever bore my daughter or thyself. 
Be gone ! I will not hear thy vain excuse ; 
But, as thou lov'st thy life, make speed from hence. [^Extt, 

Valenti?ie. And why not death rather than living tor- 
ment ? 170 
To die is to be banish'd from myself, 



Scene I] Two Gentlemen of Verona 67 

And Silvia is myself ; banish'd from her 

Is self from self, — a deadly banishment ! 

What light is light if Silvia be not seen ? 

What joy is joy if Silvia be not by ? 

Unless it be to think that she is by, 

And feed upon the shadow of perfection. 

Except I be by Silvia in the night. 

There is no music in the nightingale ; 

Unless I look on Silvia in the day, 180 

There is no day for me to look upon ; 

She is my essence, and I leave to be. 

If I be not by her fair influence 

Foster'd, illumin'd, cherish'd, kept alive. 

I fly not death, to fly this deadly doom. 

Tarry I here, I but attend on death ; 

But, fly I hence, I fly away from life. 

Enter Proteus and Launce 

Proteus, Run, boy, run, run, and seek him out. 
Launce, So ho, so ho ! 

Proteus, What seest thou ? 190 

Launce, Him we go to find ; there 's not a hair 
on 's head but 't is a Valentine. 
Proteus, Valentine ? 
Valentine, No. 

Proteus, Who then ? his spirit ? 
Valentine, Neither. 
Proteus, What then ? 
Valentine. Nothing, 



68 Two Gentlemen of Verona [Act ill 

La u nee. Can nothing speak ? — Master, shall I strike ? 

Proteus. Who ^YOuldst thou strike ? 200 

Launee. Nothing. 

Proteus, Villain, forbear. 

Launee. Why. sir, I '11 strike nothing ; I pray you, — 

Proteus. Sirrah. I say, forbear. — Friend Valentine, 
a word. 

Valentine. My ears are stopt and cannot hear good 
news, 
So much of bad already hath possess 'd them. 

Proteus. Then in dumb silence will I bury mine, 
For they are harsh, untuneable, and bad. 

Valentine. Is Silvia dead ? 

Proteus. Xo, Valentine. 210 

Valentine. Xo Valentine, indeed, for sacred Silvia. — 
Hath she forsworn me ? 

Proteus. Xo, Valentine. 

Valentine. Xo Valentine, if Silvia have forsworn 
me. — 
What is your news ? 

Launee. Sir, there is a proclamation that you are 
vanished. 

Proteus. That thou art banished — O, that's the 
news ! — 
From hence, from Silvia, and from me thy friend. 

Valentine. O, I have fed upon this woe already, 
And now excess of it will make me surfeit. 220 

Doth Silvia know that I am banished ? 

Proteus. Av, av ; and she hath offer'd to the doom — 



Scene I] Two Gentlemen of Verona 69 

Which, unrevers'd, stands in effectual force — 

A sea of melting pearl, which some call tears. 

Those at her father's churlish feet she tender'd ; 

With them, upon her knees, her humble self. 

Wringing her hands, whose whiteness so became them 

As if but now they waxed pale for woe. 

But neither bended knees, pure hands held up. 

Sad sighs, deep groans, nor silver-shedding tears, 230 

Could penetrate her uncompassionate sire ; 

But Valentine, if he be ta'en, must die. 

Besides, her intercession chaf 'd him so. 

When she for thy repeal was suppliant. 

That to close prison he commanded her. 

With many bitter threats of biding there. 

Valentine, No more, unless the next word that thou 
speak'st 
Have some malignant power upon my life ; 
If so, I pray thee, breathe it in mine ear. 
As ending anthem of my endless dolour. 240 

Proteics, Cease to lament for that thou canst not help. 
And study help for that which thou lament'st. 
Time is the nurse and breeder of all good. 
Here if thou stay, thou canst not see thy love ; 
Besides, thy staying will abridge thy life. 
Hope is a lover's staff ; walk hence with that, 
And manage it against despairing thoughts. 
Thy letters may be here, though thou art hence. 
Which, being writ to me, shall be deliver'd 
Even in the milk-white bosom of thy love. 250 



yo Two Gentlemen of Verona [Act ill 

The time now serves not to expostulate ; 
Come, I '11 convey thee through the city gate, 
And, ere I part with thee, confer at large 
Of all that may concern thy love-affairs. 
As thou lov'st Silvia, though not for thyself, 
Regard thy danger, and along with me ! 

Valentine. I pray thee, Launce, an if thou seest my 
boy. 
Bid him make haste and meet me at the North-gate. 

Proteus, Go, sirrah, find him out. — Come, Valentine. 

Valentine. O my dear Silvia ! Hapless Valentine ! 260 
{^Exeunt Valentine and Proteus. 

Launce. I am but a fool, look you, and yet I have 
the wit to think my master is a kind of a knave ; but 
that 's all one, if he but one knave. He lives not now 
that knows me to be in love, yet I am in love ; but 
a team of horse shall not pluck that from me ; nor 
who 't is I love ; and yet 't is a woman ; but what 
woman, I will not tell myself ; and yet 't is a milk- 
maid ; yet 't is not a maid, for she hath had gossips ; 
yet 't is a maid, for she is her master's maid and 
serves for wages. She hath more qualities than a 270 
water-spaniel, which is much in a bare Christian. 
\Pulling out a paper. "] Here is a catelog of her con- 
dition. 'Imprimis: She can fetch and carry. ^ Why, 
a horse can do no more : nay, a horse cannot fetch, 
but only carry ; therefore is she better than a jade. 
' Iton : She can milk ; ' look you, a sweet virtue in a 
maid with clean hands. 



ft 
Scene I] Two Gentlemen of Verona 71 

Enter Speed 

Speed, How now, Sigriior Launce ! what news with 
your mastership. 

Launce, With m}^ master's ship ? why, it is at sea. 

Speed, Well, your old vice still, — mistake the 
word. What news, then, in your paper ? 282 

Launce, The blackest news that ever thou heardest. 

Speed. Why, man, how black ? 

Launce, Why, as black as ink. 

Speed. Let me read them. 

Launce, Fie on thee, jolt-head! thou canst not 
read. 

Speed, Thou liest ; I can. 

Launce, I will try thee. Tell me this : who begot 
thee ? 291 

Speed, Marry, the son of my grandfather. 

Launce, O illiterate loiterer ! it was the son of thy 
grandmother ; this proves that thou canst not read. 

Speed, Come, fool, come ; try me in thy paper. 

Launce. There ; and Saint Nicholas be thy speed I 

Speed. [Reads] ^ Lmprimis : She can milk,'' 

Launce, Ay, that she can. 

Speed. ' Ltem : She brews good ale,"* 

Launce. And thereof comes the proverb, ^ Blessing 
of your heart, you brew good ale.' 301 

Speed. ^ Item : She can sew.'' 

Launce. That 's as much as to say. Can she so ? 

Speed. ^ Item : She can knit,'' 



72 Two Gendemen of Ve :: ^ a.: rn 

Launce. What need a man care for a stock wiih a 
wench, when she can knit him a stock. 
Speed. ' Item : She can wash and scanr^ 
Launce. A specrial virtue : for then she need not 
be washed and scoured. 

Speed. ' Item : She can spin^ 310 

Launce. Then may I set the world on wheels. 
when she can spin for her living. 

Speed. * Item: Sheha^ manf nameless virtues.^ 
Launce, That 's as much as to say, bastard virtues, 
that, indeed, know not their fathers and theiefioie 
have no names. 

Speed. ^ Here foUaw her vices. ^ 
Launce. Ck)se at the heels of her virtues. 
Speed. ' Item : She is not to be kissed fastings in re- 
spect of her brea^^ -po 

Launce. Well, that fault may be mended with a 
breakfast Read on. 

Speed. ' Item : She haA a sweet matithJ 
Launce. That makes amends for her sour breath. 
Speed. ^Ittm : She doOi talk in her sleep: 
Launce. It 's no matter for that, so she sleep not 
in her talk. 

Speed. ^Item : She is slaw in wards.* 
Launce. O villain, that set this down among her 
vices 5 To be slow in words is a woman's onty vir- 
tue ; I pray thee, out with t, and place it for her 
chief virtue. 552 

Speed. ' Item : She is proud: 



Scene I] Two Gentlemen of Verona 73 

Launce, Out with that too ; it was Eve's legacy, 
and cannot be ta'en from her. 

Speed. ^ Item : She hath no teeth.^ 

Launce. I care not for that neither, because I 
love crusts. 

Speed. 'Item: She is curst, '^ 

Launce. Well, the best is, she hath no teeth to bite. 

Speed. ' Item : She will often praise her liquor,'' 341 

Launce. If her liquor be good, she shall ; if she 
will not, I will, for good things should be praised. 

Speed. ^ Item : She is too liberal,'' 

Launce, Of her tongue she cannot, for that 's writ 
down she is slow of; of her purse she shall not, 
for that I '11 keep shut ; now, of another thing she 
may, and that I cannot help. Well, proceed. 

Speed. ^ Item : She hath more hair than wit, and 
more faults than hairs, and more wealth than faults ,' y^o 

Launce, Stop there ; I '11 have her. She was 
mine, and not mine, twice or thrice in that last 
article. Rehearse that once more. 

Speed. ^ Item : She hath more hair than wit^ — 

Launce, More hair than wit ? It may be ; I '11 
prove it. The cover of the salt hides the salt, and 
therefore it is more than the salt ; the hair that 
covers the wit is more than the wit, for the greater 
hides the less. What 's next ? 

Speed. ' And more faults than hairs, ^ — 360 

Launce, That 's monstrous ; O, that that were out! 

Speed. * And more wealth than faults.^ 



74 Two Gentlemen of Verona [Act iii 

Launce, Why, that word makes the faults gracious. 
Well, I '11 have her ; and if it be a match, as nothing 
is impossible, — 

Speed. What then ? 

Launce, Why, then will I tell thee — that thy 
master stays for thee at the North-gate. 

Speed, For me ? 

Launce, For thee ! ay, who art thou ? he hath 
stayed for a better man than thee. 371 

Speed, And must I go to him ? 

Launce, Thou must run to him, for thou hast 
stayed so long that going will scarce serve the turn. 

Speed. Why didst not tell me sooner ? pox of your 
love-letters ! \Exit 

Launce, Now will he be swinged for reading my 
letter, — an unmannerly slave, that wdll thrust him- 
self into secrets ! I '11 after, to rejoice in the boy's 
correction. \Exit, 



Scene II. The Same, The Duke's Palace 
Enter Duke and Thurio 

Duke. Sir Thurio, fear not but that she will love you, 
Now Valentine is banish 'd from her sight. 

Thurio. Since his exile she hath despis'd me most. 
Forsworn my company and rail'd at me, 
That I am desperate of obtaining her. 

Duke. This weak impress of love is as a figure 



Scene 11] Two Gentlemen of Verona 75 

Trenched in ice, which with an hour's heat 

Dissolves to water and doth lose his form. 

A httle time will melt her frozen thoughts, 

And worthless Valentine shall be forgot. — 10 

Enter Proteus 

How now. Sir Proteus ! Is your countryman 
According to our proclamation gone ? 

Proteus. Gone, my good lord. 

Duke, My daughter takes his going grievously. 

Proteus. A little time, my lord, will kill that grief. 

Duke. So I believe, but Thurio thinks not so. 
Proteus, the good conceit I hold of thee — 
For thou hast shown some sign of good desert — 
Makes me the better to confer with thee. 

Proteus. Longer than I prove loyal to your grace 20 
Let me not live to look upon your grace. 

Duke. Thou know'st how willingly I would effect 
The match between Sir Thurio and my daughter. 

Proteus. I do, my lord. 

Duke. And also, I think, thou art not ignorant 
How she opposes her against my will. 

Proteus. She did, my lord, when Valentine was here. 

Duke. Ay, and perversely she persevers so. 
What might we do to make the girl forget 
The love of Valentine and love Sir Thurio ? 30 

Proteus. The best way is to slander Valentine 
With falsehood, cowardice, and poor descent. 
Three things that women highly hold in hate. 



76 Two Gentlemen of Verona [Act iii 

Duke. Ay, but she '11 think that it is spoke in hate. 

Proteus. Ay, if his enemy deliver it ; 
Therefore it must with circumstance be spoken 
By one whom she esteemeth as his friend. 

Dicke. Then you must undertake to slander him. 

Proteus. And that, my lord, I shall be loath to do ; 
'T is an ill office for a gentleman, 40 

Especially against his very friend. 

Duke. Where your good word cannot advantage him, 
Your slander never can endamage him ; 
Therefore the office is indifferent. 
Being entreated to it by your friend. 

Proteus. You have prevail'd, my lord. If I can do it 
By aught that I can speak in his dispraise, 
She shall not long continue love to him. 
But say this weed her love from Valentine, 
It follows not that she will love Sir Thurio. 50 

Thurio. Therefore, as you unwind her love from him, 
Lest it should ravel and be good to none. 
You must provide to bottom it on me, 
Which must be done by praising me as much 
As you in worth dispraise Sir Valentine. 

Duke. And, Proteus, we dare trust you in this kind, 
Because we know, on Valentine's report, 
You are already Love's firm votary. 
And cannot soon revolt and change your mind. 
Upon this warrant shall you have access 60 

Where you with Silvia may confer at large ; 
For she is lumpish, hea\y, melancholy. 



Scene II] Two Gentlemen of Verona 77 

And, for your friend's sake, will be glad of you, 
Where you may temper her by your persuasion 
To hate young Valentine and love my friend. 

Proteus, As much as I can do I will effect. — 
But you, Sir Thurio, are not sharp enough ; 
You must lay lime to tangle her desires 
By wailful sonnets, whose composed rhymes 
Should be full-fraught with serviceable vows. 70 

Duke, Ay, 
Much is the force of heaven-bred poesy. 

Proteus. Say that upon the altar of her beauty 
You sacrifice your tears, your sighs, your heart. 
Write till your ink be dry, and with your tears 
Moist it again and frame some feeling line 
That may discover such integrity ; 
For Orpheus' lute was strung with poets' sinews, 
Whose golden touch could soften steel and stones, 
Make tigers tame, and huge leviathans 80 

Forsake unsounded deeps to dance on sands. 
After your dire-lamenting elegies. 
Visit by night your lady's chamber-window 
With some sweet consort; to their instruments 
Tune a deploring dump ; the night's dead silence 
Will well become such sweet-complaining grievance. 
This, or else nothing, will inherit her. 

Duke. This discipline shows thou hast been in love. 

Thurio. And thy advice this night I '11 put in 
practice ; 
Therefore, sweet Proteus, my direction-giver, 90 



78 Two Gentlemen of Verona [Act iii 

Let us into the city presently 
To sort some gentlemen well skill'd in music. 
I have a sonnet that will serve the turn 
To give the onset to thy good advice. 

Duke, About it, gentlemen ! 

Proteus, We '11 wait upon your grace till after supper 
And afterward determine our proceedings. 

Duke, Even now about it 1 I will pardon you. 

\Exeunt, 




Court of Ducal Palace, Milan 



ACT IV 

Scene I. A Forest near Milan 

Enter certain Outlaws 

1 Outlaw. Fellows, stand fast ; I see a passenger. 

2 Outlaw, If there be ten, shrink not, but down with 

'em. 

Enter Valentine and Speed 

3 Outlaw, Stand, sir, and throw us that you have 

about ye ; 
If not, we '11 make you sit and rifle you. 

Speed, Sir, we are undone ; these are the villains 
That all the travellers do fear so much. 
Valentine, My friends, — 
79 



8o Two Gentlemen of Verona [Act iv 

1 Outlaw, That 's not so, sir ; we are your enemies. 

2 Outlaw. Peace, we '11 hear him. 

3 Outlaw. Ay, by my beard, will we, for he 's a 

proper man. lo 

Vale?itine. Then know that I have little wealth to 

lose. 
A man I am cross 'd with adversity ; 
My riches are these poor habiliments, 
Of which if you should here disfurnish me 
You take the sum and substance that I have. 

2 Outlaw. Whither travel you ? 
Valentine. To Verona. 

I Outlaw. Whence came you ? 
Valentine. From Milan. 

3 Outlaw. Have you long sojourned there ? 20 
Valentine. Some sixteen months, and longer might 

have stay'd. 
If crooked fortune had not thv/arted me. 

1 Outlaw. What, were you banish'd thence ? 
Valentijie, I was. 

2 Outlaw. For what offence ? 

Valentine. For that which now torments me to re- 
hearse. 
I kill'd a man, whose death I much repent ; 
But yet I slew him manfully in fight, 
Without false vantage or base treachery. 

I Outlaw. Why, ne'er repent it, if it were done 
so. 30 

But were you banish'd for so small a fault ? 



Scene I] Two Gentlemen of Verona 8 1 

Valentine, I was, and held me glad of such a doom. 

2 Outlaw. Have you the tongues ? 

Valentine, My youthful travel therein made me 
happy, 
Or else I often had been miserable. 

3 Outlaiv, By the bare scalp of Robin Hood's fat 

friar, 
This fellow were a king for our wild faction ! 

1 Outlaw, We '11 have him. — Sir, a word. 
Speed. Master, be one of them ; it 's an honoura- 
ble kind of thievery. 40 

Valentine. Peace, villain ! 

2 Outlaw. Tell us this : have you any thing to 
take to ? 

Valentine. Nothing but my fortune. 

3 Oti'tlaw. Know, then, that some of us are gentle- 

men. 
Such as the fury of ungovern'd youth 
Thrust from the company of awful men. 
Myself was from Verona banished 
For practising to steal away a lady, 
An heir, and near allied unto the duke. 50 

2 Outlaiv. And I from Mantua, for a gentleman, 
Who, in my mood, I stabb'd unto the heart. 

I Outlaw. And I for such like petty crimes as these. 
But to the purpose — for we cite our faults. 
That they may hold excus'd our lawless lives ; 
And partly, seeing you are beautified 
With goodly shape, and by your own report 

TWO GENTLEMEN — 6 



82 Two Gentlemen of Verona [Act IV 

A linguist, and a man of such perfection 
As we do in our quality much want — 

2 Outlaw, Indeed, because you are a banish'd man, 
Therefore, above the rest, we parley to you. 6i 
Are you content to be our general ? 

To make a virtue of necessity- 

And live, as we do, in this wilderness ? 

3 Outlaw. What say'st thou ? wilt thou be of our 

consort ? 
Say ay, and be the captain of us all. 
We '11 do thee homage, and be rul'd by thee, 
Love thee as our commander and our king. 

1 Outlaw, But if thou scorn our courtesy, thou diest. 

2 Outlaw, Thou shalt not live to brag what we 

have otter *d. 70 

Valenti?ie, I take your offer and will live with you, 
Provided that you do no outrages 
On silly women or poor passengers. 

3 Outlaw. No, we detest such ^dle base practices. 
Com.e, go with us, we '11 bring thee to our crews, 
And show thee all the treasure we have got, 

Which, with ourselves, all rest at thy dispose. \^Exeunt 

Scene II. Mila?i. TJie Court of the Palace 

E?ite7' Proteus 

Proteus. Already have I been false to Valentine, 
And now I must be as unjust to Thurio. 

Under the colour of commending: him, 



Scene II] Two Gentlemen of Verona 83 

I have access my own love to prefer ; 

But Silvia is too fair, too true, too holy, 

To be corrupted with my worthless gifts. 

When I protest true loyalty to her, 

She twits me with my falsehood to my friend ; 

When to her beauty I commend my vows, 

She bids me think how I have been forsworn 10 

In breaking faith with Julia whom I lov'd ; 

And notwithstanding all her sudden quips, 

The least whereof would quell a lover's hope, 

Yet, spaniel-like, the more she spurns my love. 

The more it grows and fawneth on her still. — 

But here comes Thurio. Now must we to her window, 

And give some evening music to her ear. 

Enter Thurio and Musicians 

Thurio, How, now, Sir Proteus, are you crept before 
us? 

Proteus, Ay, gentle Thurio, for you know that love 
Will creep in service where it cannot go. 20 

Thurio, Ay, but I hope, sir, that you love not here. 

Proteus, Sir, but I do ; or else I would be hence. 

Thurio, Who ? Silvia ? 

Proteus, Ay, Silvia, — for your sake. 

Thurio. I thank you for your own. — Now, gentlemen, 
Let 's tune, and to it lustily awhile. 

Enter ^ at a distance^ Host, and Julia in boy^s clothes 

Host. Now, my young guest, methinks you 're alli- 
choly. I pray you, why is it ? 



84 Two Gentlemen of Verona [Act iv 

Julia. Marry, mine host, because I cannot be 
merry. 

Host, Come, we '11 have you merry. I '11 bring 30 
you where you shall hear music, and see the gentle- 
man that you asked for. 

Julia. But shall I hear him speak ? 

Host, Ay, that you shall. 

Julia, That will be music. \_Music plays. 

Host, Hark, hark ! 

Julia,., Is he among these ? 

Host, Ay ; but peace 1 let 's hear 'em. 

Song 

Who is Silvia ? what is she, 

That all our swains commend her ? 40 

Holy, fair, and wise is she ; 

The heaven such grace did lefid her 
That she might adniired be. 

Is she kind as she is fair, 

For beatcty lives with kindness ? 
Love doth to her eyes repair. 

To help him of his blindness. 
And being helped inhabits there. 

Then to Silvia let us sing, 

That Silvia is excelling ; 50 

She excels each mortal thing 

Upon the dull eai^th dwelling; 
To her let us garlands brifig. 



Scene II] Two Gentlemen of Verona 85 

Host, How now ! are you sadder than you were 
before ? How do you, man? the music hkes you not. 

Julia. You mistake ; the musician likes me not. 

Host. Why, my pretty youth ? 

Julia. He plays false, father. 

Host. How ? out of tune on the strings ? 

Julia. Not so ; but yet so false that he grieves my 
very heart-strings. 61 

Host. You have a quick ear. 

Julia. Ay, I would I were deaf ; it makes me have 
a slow heart. 

Host. I perceive you delight not in music ! 

Julia. Not a whit, when it jars so. 

Host. Hark, what fine change is in the music ! 

Julia. Ay, that change is the spite. 

Host. You would have them always play but one 
thing ? 70 

Julia. I would always have one play but one thing. 
But, host, doth this Sir Proteus that we talk on 
Often resort unto this gentlewoman ? 

Host, I tell you what Launce, his man, told me ; 
— he loved her out of all nick. 

Julia. Where is Launce ? 

Host. Gone to seek his dog, which to-morrow, by 
his master's command, he must carry for a present 
to his lady. 

Julia. Peace, stand aside ; the company parts. 80 

Proteus. Sir Thurio, fear not you ; I will so plead 
That you shall say my cunning drift excels. 



86 Two Gentlemen of Verona [Act iv 

Thurio, Where meet we ? 

Proteus, At Saint Gregory's well. 

Thurio. Farewell. 

[Exeunt Thurio and Musicia?is. 

Enter Silvla. above 

Proteus, Madam, good even to your ladyship. 

Silvia, I thank you for your music, gentlemen. — 
Who is that that spake ? 

Proteus. One, lady, if you knew his pure heart's 
truth. 
You would quickly learn to know him by his voice. 

Silvia, Sir Proteus, as I take it. 89 

Proteus, Sir Proteus, gentle lady, and your servant. 

Silvia, What 's your will ? 

Proteus, That I may compass yours. 

Silvia, You have your wish ; my will is even 
this, — 
That presently you hie you home to bed. 
Thou subtle, perjur'd, false, disloyal man ! 
Think'st thou I am so shallow, so conceitless, 
To be seduced by thy flattery 
That hast deceiv'd so many with thy vows ? 
Return, return, and make thy love amends. 
For me, by this pale queen of night I swear, 
I am so far from granting thy request 100 

That I despise thee for thy wrongful suit. 
And by and by intend to chide myself 
Even for this time I spend in talking to thee. 



Scene II] Two Gentlemen of Verona 87 

Proteus, I grant, sweet love, that I did love a lady, 
But she is dead. 

, Julia. [Aside] 'T were false, if I should speak it, 
For I am sure she is not buried. 

Silvia, Say that she be, yet Valentine thy friend 
Survives, to whom, thyself art witness, 
I am betroth'd ; and art thou not asham'd 
To wrong him with thy importunacy ? no 

Proteus, I likewise hear that Valentine is dead. 

Silvia, And so suppose am I, for in his grave 
Assure thyself my love is buried. 

Proteus, Sweet lady, let me rake it from the 
earth. 

Silvia, Go to thy lady's grave and call hers thence, 
Or, at the least, in hers sepulchre thine. 

Julia, [Aside'] He heard not that. 

Proteus, Madam, if your heart be so obdurate. 
Vouchsafe me yet your picture for my love. 
The picture that is hanging in your chamber. 120 

To that I '11 speak, to that I '11 sigh and weep ; 
For since the substance of your perfect self 
Is else devoted, I am but a shadow. 
And to your shadow will I make true love. 

Julia, [Aside] If 't were a substance, you would, sure, 
deceive it 
And make it but a shadow, as I am. 

Silvia. I am very loath to be your idol, sir ; 
But since your falsehood shall become you well 
To worship shadows and adore false shapes, 



88 Two Gentlemen of Verona [Act iv 

Send to me in the morning and I '11 send it. 13® 

And so, good rest. 

Proteus. As wretches have o'ernight 

That wait for execution in the morn. 

[Exeunt Proteus and Silvia severally. 

Julia, Host, will you go ? 

Host. By my halidom, I was fast asleep. 

Julia. Pray you, where lies Sir Proteus ? 

Host. Marry, at my house. Trust me, I think 
't is almost day. 

Julia. Not so ; but it hath been the longest night 
That e'er I watch 'd, and the most heaviest. [Exeunt 

Scene III. The Same 

Enter Eglamour 

Eglamour. This is the hour that Madam Silvia 
Entreated me to call and know her mind. 
There 's some great matter she 'd employ me in. — 
Madam, madam 1 

Enter Silvia above 

Silvia. Who calls ? 

Eglamour, Your servant and your friend ; 

One that attends your ladyship's command. 

Silvia. Sir Eglamour, a thousand times good morrow. 

Eglamour. As many, worthy lady, to yourself. 
According to your ladyship's impose, 
I am thus early come to know what service 10 

It is your pleasure to command me in. 



Scene III] Two Gentlemen of Verona 85 

Silvia. O Eglamour, thou art a gentleman — 
Think not I flatter, for I swear I do not — 
Valiant, wise, remorseful, well accomplish 'd. 
Thou art not ignorant what dear good will 
I bear unto the banish'd Valentine, 
Nor how my father would enforce me marry 
Vain Thurio, whom my very soul abhors. 
Thyself hast lov'd ; and I have heard thee say 
No grief did ever come so near thy heart 2# 

As when thy lady and thy true love died, 
Upon whose grave thou vow'dst pure chastity. 
Sir Eglamour, I would to Valentine, 
To Mantua, where I hear he makes abode ; 
And, for the ways are dangerous to pass, 
I do desire thy worthy company. 
Upon whose faith and honour I repose. 
Urge not my father's anger, Eglamour, 
But think upon my grief, a lady's grief. 
And on the justice of my flying hence, 3* 

To keep me from a most unholy match. 
Which heaven and fortune still rewards with plagues. 
I do desire thee, even from a heart 
As full of sorrows as the sea of sands. 
To bear me company and go with me ; 
If not, to hide what I have said to thee, 
That I may venture to depart alone. 

Eglamour. Madam, I pity much your grievances ; 
Which since I know they virtuously are plac'd, 
I give consent to go along with you, 4« 



90 Two Gentlemen of Verona [Act iv 

Recking as little what betideth me 

As much I wish all good befortune you. 

When will you go ? 

Silvia, This evening coming. . 

Eglamour, Where shall I meet you ? 

Silvia, At Friar Patrick's cell, 

Where I intend holy confession. 

Eglamour. I will not fail your ladyship. Good 
morrow, gentle lady. 

Silvia. Good morrow, kind Sir Eglamour. 

[Exeunt severally. 

Scene IV. The Same 

Enter Launce, with his Dog 

Launce. When a man's servant shall play the cur 
with him, look you, it goes hard : one that I brought 
up of a puppy ; one that I saved from drowning, 
when three or four of his blind brothers and sisters 
went to it. I have taught him, even as one would 
say precisely, — thus I would teach a dog. I was 
sent to deliver him as a present to Mistress Silvia 
from my master, and I came no sooner into the 
dining-chamber but he steps me to her trencher and 
steals her capon's leg. O, 't is a foul thing when a lo 
cur cannot keep himself in all companies ! I would 
have, as one should say, one that takes upon him to 
be a dog indeed, to be, as it were, a dog at all things. 
If I had not had more wit than he, to take a fault 



Scene IV] Two Gentlemen of Verona 91 

upon me that he did, I think verily he had been 
hanged for 't ; sure as I Hve, he had suffered for 't. 
You shall judge. He thrusts me himself into the 
company of three or four gentlemanlike dogs under 
the duke's table, but all the chamber smelt him. 

* Out with the dog ! ' says one. * What cur is that ? ' 20 
says another. ' Whip him out ' says the third. 

* Hang him up ' says the duke. I, having been 
acquainted with the smell before, knew it was Crab, 
and goes me to the fellow that whips the dogs. 

* Friend,' quoth I, *you mean to whip the dog?' 

* Ay, marry, do I,' quoth he. * You do him the 
more wrong,' quoth I ; * 't was I did the thing you 
wot of.' He makes me no more ado, but whips me 
out of the chamber. How many masters would do 
this for his servant? Nay, I '11 be sworn, I have sat 30 
in the stocks for puddings he hath stolen, otherwise 
he had been executed ; I have stood on the pillory 
for geese he hath killed, otherwise he had suffered 
for 't. Thou thinkest not of this now. Nay, I 
remember the trick you served me when I took my 
leave of Madam Silvia. Did not I bid thee still 
mark me and do as I do ? when didst thou see me 
heave up my leg against a gentlewoman's farthin- 
gale ? didst thou ever see me do such a trick ? 

Enter Proteus and Julia 

Proteus. Sebastian is thy name ? I like thee well 40 
And will employ thee in some service presently. 



92 Two Gentlemen of Verona [Act iv 

Julia, In what you please ; I '11 do what I can. 

Proteus, I hope thou wilt. — \To Launce] How now, 
you whoreson peasant ! 
Where have you been these two days loitering ? 

Launce, Marry, sir, I carried Mistress Silvia the 
dog you bade me. 

Proteus, And what says she to my little jewel ? 

Launce, Marry, she says your dog was a cur, 
and tells you currish thanks is good enough for such 
a present. 50 

Proteus, But she received my dog ? 

Launce, No, indeed, did she not; here have I 
brought him back again. 

Proteus, What, didst thou offer her this from me ? 

Launce, Ay, sir ; the other squirrel was stolen 
from me by the hangman boys in the market-place ; 
and then I offered her mine own, who is a dog as big 
as ten of yours, and therefore the gift the greater. 

Proteus, Go get thee hence, and find my dog again. 
Or ne'er return again into my sight. 60 

Away, I say 1 stay'st thou to vex me here ? \Exit Launce. 
A slave, that still an end turns me to shame ! — 
Sebastian, I have entertained thee. 
Partly that I have need of such a youth 
That can with some discretion do my business — 
For 't is no trusting to yond foolish lout — 
But chiefly for thy face and thy behaviour, 
Which, if my augury deceive me not, 
Witness good bringing up, fortune, and truth ; 



Scene IV] Two Gentlemen of Verona 93 

Therefore know thou, for this I entertain thee. 70 

Go presently and take this ring with thee, 

DeHver it to Madam Silvia. 

She lov'd me well deliver'd it to me. 

Julia. It seems you lov'd not her, to leave her 
token. 
She is dead, belike ? 

Proteus, Not so ; I think she hves. 

Julia. Alas ! 

Proteus. Why dost thou cry, alas ! 

Julia, I cannot choose 

But pity her. 

Proteus. Wherefore shouldst thou pity her ? 

Julia. Because methinks that she lov'd you as well 
As you do love your lady Silvia. 80 

She dreams on him that has forgot her love ; 
You dote on her that cares not for your love. 
'T is pity love should be so contrary ; 
And thinking on it makes me cry, alas ! 

Proteus. Well, give her that ring, and therewithal 
This letter. That 's her chamber. Tell my lady 
I claim the promise for her heavenly picture. 
Your message done, hie home unto my chamber. 
Where thou shalt find me, sad and solitary. \Exit. 

Julia, How many women would do such a message ? 
Alas, poor Proteus ! thou hast entertain'd 91 

A fox to be the shepherd of thy lambs. — 
Alas, poor fool ! why do I pity him 
\That with his very heart despiseth me ? 



94 Two Gentlemen of Verona ^ct IV 

Because he loves her, he despiseth me ; 

Because I love him, I must pity him. 

This ring I gave him when he parted from me, 

To bind him to remember my good will ; 

And now am I, unhappy messenger, 

To plead for that w^hich I w^ould not obtain, loo 

To carr}' that which I would have refus'd. 

To praise his faith which I would have disprais'd. 

I am my master's true- confirmed love. 

But cannot be true servant to my master 

Unless I prove false traitor to myself. 

Yet will I woo for him, but yet so coldly 

As, heaven it knows, I would not have him speed. — 

Enter Silvia, attoided 

Gentlewoman, good day ! I pray you, be my mean 

To bring me where to speak with Madam Silvia. 

Silvia, What would you with her, if that I be she? 

Julia, If you be she, I do entreat your patience m 
To hear me speak the message I am sent on. 

Silvia, From whom ? 

Julia, From my master, Sir Proteus, madam. 

Silvia, O, he sends you for a picture. 

Julia, Ay, madam. 

Silvia, Ursula, bring my picture there. — 
Go give your master this ; tell him from me, 
One Julia, that his changing thoughts forget, 
Would better fit his chamber than this shadow. 120 

Julia, Madam, please you peruse this kU^r, — 



Scene IV] Two Gentlemen of Verona 95 

Pardon me, madam, I have unadvised 
Deliver'd you a paper that I should not ; 
This is the letter to your ladyship. 

Silvia, I pray thee, let me look on that again. 

Julia, It may not be ; good madam, pardon me. 

Silvia. There, hold ! 
I will not look upon your master's lines ; 
I know they are stuff'd with protestations 
And full of new-found oaths, which he will break 130 
As easily as I do tear his paper. 

Julia, Madam, he sends your ladyship this ring. 

Silvia. The more shame for him that he sends it me. 
For I have heard him say a thousand times 
His Julia gave it him at his departure. 
Though his false finger have prof an 'd the ring, 
Mine shall not do his Julia so much wrong. 

Julia. She thanks you. 

Silvia, What say'st thou ? 

Julia, I thank you, madam, that you tender her. 140 
Poor gentlewoman ! my master wrongs her much. 

Silvia, Dost thou know her ? 

Julia, Almost as well as I do know myself ; 
To think upon her woes I do protest 
That I have wept a hundred several times. 

Silvia, Belike she thinks that Proteus hath forsook her. 

Julia, I think she doth, and that 's her cause of 
sorrow. 

Silvia. Is she not passing fair ? 

Julia, She hath been fairer, madam, than she is. 



^6 Two Gentlemen of Verona [Act IV 

When she did think my master lov'd her well, 150 

She, in my judgment, was as fair as you ; 

But since she did neglect her looking-glass 

And threw her sun-expelling mask away, 

The air hath starv'd the roses in her cheeks, 

And pinch'd the lily-tincture of her face, 

That now she is become as black as I. 

Silvia. How tall was she ? 

Julia, About my stature, for at Pentecost, 
When all our pageants of delight were play'd, 
Our youth got me to play the woman's part, 160 

And I was trimm'd in Madam Julia's gown, 
Which served me as fit, by all men's judgments, 
As if the garment had been made for me ; 
Therefore I know she is about my height. 
And at that time I made her weep agood, 
For I did play a lamentable part. 
Madam, 't was Ariadne passioning 
For Theseus' perjury and unjust flight. 
Which I so lively acted with my tears 
That my poor mistress, moved therewithal, 170 

Wept bitterly ; and would I might be dead 
If I in thought felt not her very sorrow ! 

Silvia, She is beholding to thee, gentle youth. 
Alas, poor lady, desolate and left ! 
I weep myself to think upon thy words. 
Here, youth, there is my purse ; I give thee this 
For thy sweet mistress' sake, because thou lov'st her. 
Farewell. S^Exit Silvia^ with attendants. 



Scene IV] Two Gentlemen of Verona 97 

Julia. And she shall thank you for 't, if e'er you know 
her. — 
A virtuous gentlewoman, mild and beautiful ! 180 

I hope my master's suit will be but cold, 
Since she respects my mistress' love so much, 
Alas, how love can trifle with itself ! 
Here is her picture. Let me see ; I think, 
If I had such a tire, this face of mine 
Were full as lovely as is this of hers ! 
And yet the painter flatter'd her a little, 
Unless I flatter with myself too much. 
\ Her hair is auburn, mine is perfect yellow ; 
If that be all the difference in his love, 190 

I '11 get me such a colour'd periwig. 
Her eyes are grey as glass, and so are mine ; 
Ay, but her forehead 's low, and mine 's as high. 
What should it be that he respects in her 
But I can make respective in myself. 
If this fond Love were not a blinded god ? — 
Come, shadow, come, and take this shadow up, 
For 't is thy rival. — O thou senseless form. 
Thou shalt be worshipp'd, kiss'd, lov'd, and ador'd ! 
And, were there sense in his idolatry, 200 

My substance should be statue in thy stead. 
I '11 use thee kindly for thy mistress' sake. 
That us'd me so ; or else, by Jove I vow, 
I should have scratch 'd out your unseeing e)^es. 
To make my master out of love with thee I \^Exit 

TWO GENTLEMEN — 7 







Abbey of Sant' Ambrogio, Milan 



ACT V 

Scene I. Milan. An Abbey 

Enter Eglamour 

Eglamour. The sun begins to gild the western sky ; 
And now it is about the very hour 
That Silvia at Friar Patrick's cell should meet me. 
She will not fail, for lovers break not hours, 
Unless it be to come before their time, 
So much they spur their expedition. 
See where she comes. — 

Enter Silvia 

Lady, a happy evening ! 
Silvia, Amen, amen ! Go on, good Eglamour, 

98 



Scene II] Two Gentlemen of Verona 99 

Out at the postern by the abbey-wall. 
I fear I am attended by some spies. 10 

Eglamour, Fear not, the forest is not three leagues 
off; 
If we recover that, we are sure enough. \_Exeunt, 



Scene II. The Same, The Duke's Palace 
Enter Thurio, Proteus, and Julia 

Thurio. Sir Proteus, what says Silvia to my suit? 

Proteus. O, sir, I find^ her milder than she was ; 
And yet she takes exceptions at your person. 

Thurio, What, that my leg is too long ? 

Proteus, No ; that it is too little. 

Thurio. I '11 wear a boot, to make it somewhat rounder. 

Julia. \Aside'\ But love will not be spurr'd to what it 
loathes. 

Thurio, What says she to my face ? 

Proteus. She says it is a fair one. 

Thurio, Nay, then, the wanton lies ; my face is black. 

Proteus, But pearls are fair ; and the old saying is. 
Black men are pearls in beauteous ladies' eyes. 12 

Julia. [Aside'] 'T is true, such pearls as put out ladies' 
eyes ; 
[For I had rather wink than look on them. 

Thurio, How likes she my discourse ? 

Proteus. Ill, when you talk of war. 

Thurio. But well, when I discourse of love and peace ? 



LOFC 



lOO Two Gentlemen of Verona [Act v 

Julia. \^Aside\ But better, indeed, when you hold your 

peace. 
Thu?io, WTiat says she to my valour? 
Proteus. O. sir, she makes no doubt of that. 20 

Julia. \_Aside\ She needs not, when she knows it 

cowardice. 
Thurio. What says she to my birth ? 
Proteus. That you are well derived. 
'^ Julia. \_Aside~\ True ; from a gentleman to a fool. 
Thurio. Considers she my possessions ? 
Proteus, O, ay ; and pities them. 
,,- Thurio. ^^llerefore ? 

\ Julia. \_Aside'] That such an ass should owe them. 
Proteus. That they are out by lease. 
Julia. Here comes the duke. 30 

Enter Duke 

Duke. How now, Sir Proteus 1 how now, Thurio ! 
Which of you saw Sir Eglamour of late? 

TJiuiio. Not I. 

Proteus. Xor I. 

Duke. Saw you my daughter ? 

Proteus. Neither. 

Duke. Why then. 
She *s fled unto that peasant Valentine, 
And Eglamour is in her company. 
'T is true ; for Friar Laurence met them both, 
As he in penance wander'd through the forest. 
Him he knew well, and guess *d that it w3l§ she, 



Scene III] Two Gentlemen of Verona loi 

But, being mask'd, he was not sure of it ; 40 

Besides, she did intend confession 

At Patrick's cell this even, and there she was not. 

These likelihoods confirm her flight from hence. 

Therefore, I pray you, stand not to discourse, 

But mount you presently and meet with me 

Upon the rising of the mountain-foot 

That leads toward Mantua, whither they are fled. 

Dispatch, sweet gentlemen, and follow me. \^Exit, 

Thurio, Why, this it is to be a peevish girl, 
That flies her fortune when it follows her. 50 

I '11 after, more to be reveng'd on Eglamour 
Than for the love of reckless Silvia. \jExit. 

Proteus, And I will follow, more for Silvia's love 
Than hate of Eglamour that goes with her. \^Exit. 

Julia, And I will follow, more to cross that love 
Than hate for Silvia that is gone for love. \Exit. 

Scene III. The Forest 
Enter Outlaws with Silvia 

1 Outlaw, Come, come. 

Be patient ; we must bring you to our captain. 

Silvia, A thousand more mischances than this one 
Have learn'd me how to brook this patiently. 

2 Outlaw, Come, bring her away. 

I Outlaw, Where is the gentleman that was with her? 

3 Outlaw, Being nimble-footed, he hath outrun us, 
But Moyses and Valerius follow him. 



102 Two Gentlemen of Verona [Act v 

Go thou with her to the west end of the wood ; 

There is our captain. We '11 follow him that 's fled ; lo 

The thicket is beset, he cannot scape. 

I Outlaw, Come, I must bring you to our captain's 
cave. 
Fear not ; he bears an honourable mind, 
And will not use a woman lawlessly. 

Silvia, O Valentine, this I endure for thee ! \Exeunt, 



Scene IV. Another Part of the Forest 

Enter Valentine 

Valentine, How use doth breed a habit in a man ! 
These shadowy, desert, unfrequented woods, 
I better brook than flourishing peopled towns ; 
Here can I sit alone, unseen of any. 
And to the nightingale's complaining notes 
Tune my distresses and record my woes. — 
O thou that dost inhabit in my breast. 
Leave not the mansion so long tenantless, 
Lest, growing ruinous, the building fall 
And leave no memory of what it was ! 
Repair me with thy presence, Silvia ; 
Thou gentle nymph, cherish thy forlorn swain !^ 
What halloing and what stir is this to-day ? 
'T is sure, my mates, that make their wills their law, 
Have some unhappy passenger in chase. 
They love me well ; yet I have much to do 



Scene IV] Two Gentlemen of Verona 103 

To keep them from uncivil outrages. 

Withdraw thee, Valentine ; who 's this comes here ? 

Enter Proteus, Silvia, and Julia 

Proteus. Madam, this service I have done for you, 
Though you respect not aught your servant doth, 20 
To hazard Ufe and rescue you from him 
That would have forc'd your honour and your love. 
Vouchsafe me for my meed but one fair look ; 
A smaller boon than this I cannot beg, 
And less than this, I am sure, you cannot give. 

Valentifie. \_Aside'\ How like a dream is this I see and 
hear ! 
Love, lend me patience to forbear awhile. 

Silvia. O miserable, unhappy that I am ! 

Proteus. Unhappy were you, madam, ere I came ; 
But by my coming I have made you happy. 30 

Silvia. By thy approach thou mak'st me most un- 
happy. 

Julia. \^Aside'\ And me, when he approacheth to your 
presence. 

Silvia. Had I been seized by a hungry lion, 
I would have been a breakfast to the beast 
Rather than have false Proteus rescue me. 
O, Heaven be judge how I love Valentine, 
Whose life 's as tender to me as my soul ! 
And full as much, for more there cannot be, 
I do detest false perjur'd Proteus. 
Therefore begone, solicit me no more. 40 



I04 Two Gentlemen of Verona [Act v 

Proteus, What dangerous action, stood it next to 
death, 
Would I not undergo for one calm look ! 
O, 't is the curse in love, and still approv'd, 
When women cannot love where they 're belov'd ! 

Silvia, ^^llen Proteus cannot love where he 's be- 
lov'd. 
Read over Julia's heart, thy first best love, 
For whose dear sake thou didst then rend thy faith 
Into a thousand oaths ; and all those oaths 
Descended into perjur}-, to love me. 
Thou hast no faith left now, unless thou 'dst two, 50 
And that *s far worse than none ; better have none 
Than plural faith, which is too much by one. 
Thou counterfeit to thy true friend ! 

Pivteus. In love 

W^ho respects friend ? 

Silvia. All men but Proteus. 

Proteus. Nay, if the gentle spirit of moving words 
Can no wav chansfe vou to a milder form, 
I '11 woo you like a soldier, at arms' end, 
And love you 'gainst the nature of love, — force ye. 

Silvia. O heaven ! 

P7'oteus. I '11 force thee yield to my desire. 

Valentifie. Ruffian, let go that rude uncivil touch, 60 
Thou friend of an ill fashion ! 

Proteus. Valentine ! 

Valentine. Thou common friend, that 's without faith 
or love, — 



Scene IV] Two Gentlemen of Verona 105 

For such is a friend now, — treacherous man ! 

Thou hast beguil'd my hopes ; nought but mine eye 

Could have persuaded me. Now I dare not say 

I have one friend aUve ; thou wouldst disprove me. 

Who should be trusted, when one's own right hand 

Is perjur'd to the bosom ? Proteus, 

I am sorry I must never trust thee more, 

But count the world a stranger for thy sake. 70 

The private wound is deep'st. O time most accurst, 

'Mongst all foes that a friend should be the worst I 

Proteus. My shame and guilt confounds me. — 
Forgive me, Valentine. If hearty sorrow 
Be a sufficient ransom for offence, 
I tender 't here ; I do as truly suffer 
As e'er I did commit. 

Valentine, Then I am paid ; 

And once again I do receive thee honest. 
Who by repentance is not satisfied 
Is nor of heaven nor earth, for these are pleas'd. 80 
By penitence the Eternal's wrath 's appeas'd; 
And, that my love may appear plain and free, 
All that was mine in Silvia I give thee. 

Julia, O me unhappy ! \Swoons, 

Proteus, Look to the boy. 

Valentine. Why, boy ! why, wag 1 how now I 
what 's the matter ? Look up ; speak. 

Julia. O good sir, my master charged me to deliver 
a ring to Madam Silvia, which, out of my neglect, 
was never done, 90 



io6 Two Gentlemen of Verona [Act v 

Proteus. Where is that ring, boy ? 

Julia. Here 't is ; this is it. 

Proteus. How ! let me see. — 
Why, this is the ring I gave to JuHa. 

Julia. O, cry you mercy, sir, I have mistook : 
This is the ring you sent to Silvia. 

Proteus. But how cam'st thou by this ring? At 
my depart I gave this unto Juha. 

Julia. And JuHa herself did give it me ; 
And Julia herself hath brought it hither. 

Proteus. How ! Julia ! loo 

Julia. Behold her that gave aim to all thy oaths, 
And entertained 'em deeply in her heart. 
How oft hast thou with perjury cleft the rootl 
O Proteus, let this habit make thee blush ! 
Be thou asham'd that I have took upon me 
Such an immodest raiment, if shame live 
In a disguise of love. 
It is the lesser blot, modesty finds. 
Women to change their shapes than men their minds. 

Proteus. Than men their minds! 't is true. O 
heaven! were man no 

But constant, he were perfect. That one error 
Fills him with faults, makes him run through all the 

sins ; 
Inconstancy falls ofE ere it begins. 
What is in Silvia's face but I may spy 
More fresh in Julia's with a constant eye ? 

Valentine. Come, come, a hand from either. 



Scene IV] Two Gentlemen of Verona 107 

Let me be blest to make this happy close ; 

'T were pity two such friends should be long foes. 

Proteus. Bear witness, heaven, I have my wish for 
ever. 

Julia, And I mine. 120 

Enter Outlaws, with Duke and Thurio 

Outlaws, A prize, a prize, a prize ! 

Valentine, Forbear, forbear, I say ! it is my lord the 
duke. — 
Your grace is welcome to a man disgrac'd, 
Banished Valentine. 

Duke, Sir Valentine ! 

Thurio, Yonder is Silvia ; and Silvia 's mine. 

Valentine, Thurio, give back, or else embrace thy 
death ; 
Come not within the measure of my wrath. 
Do not name Silvia thine ; if once again, 
Verona shall not hold thee. Here she stands. 
Take but possession of her with a touch ; 130 

I dare thee but to breathe upon my love. 

Thurio, Sir Valentine, I care not for her, I. 
I hold him but a fool that will endanger 
His body for a girl that loves him not ; 
I claim her not, and therefore she is thine. 

Dicke. The more degenerate and base art thou. 
To make such means for her as thou hast done. 
And leave her on such slight conditions. — 
Now, by the honour of my ancestry, 



io8 Two Gentlemen of Verona [Act v 

I do applaud thy spirit, Valentine, 140 

And think thee worthy of an empress' love. 

Know then, I here forget all former griefs. 

Cancel all grudge, repeal thee home again. 

Plead a new state in thy unrivall'd merit, 

To which I thus subscribe : Sir Valentine, 

Thou art a gentleman and well deriv'd ; 

Take thou thy Silvia, for thou hast deserv'd her. 

Valentine, I thank your grace ; the gift hath made 
me happy. 
I now beseech you, for your daughter's sake, 
To grant one boon that I shall ask of you. 150 

Duke, I grant it for thine own, whate'er it be. 

Vale7itine, These banish 'd men that I have kept 
withal 
Are men endu'd with worthy qualities. 
Forgive them what they have committed here 
And let them be recall'd from their exile ; 
They are reformed, civil, full of good, 
And lit for great employment, worthy lord. 

Duke, Thou hast prevail 'd ; I pardon them and thee. 
Dispose of them as thou know'st their deserts. 
Come, let us go ; we will include all jars 160 

With triumphs, mirth, and rare solemnity. 

Valentine, And, as we walk along, I dare be bold 
With our discourse to make your grace to smile. 
What think you of this page, my lord ? 

Duke, I think the boy hath grace in him ; he 
blushes. 



Scene IV] Two Gentlemen of Verona 109 

Valentine. I warrant you, my lord, more grace than 
boy. 

Duke, What mean you by that saying ? 

Valentine. Please you, I '11 tell you as we pass along, 
That you will wonder what hath fortuned. — 
Come, Proteus ; 't is your penance but to hear 170 

The story of your loves discovered. 
That done, our day of marriage shall be yours ; 
One feast, one house, one mutual happiness. [Exeunt, 



NOTES 



•%T-.-t.- .'* •' V' *• 










The Outlaws (iv. i) 



NOTES 



Introduction 



The Metre of the Play. — It should be understood at the 
outset that metre, or the mechanism of verse, is something alto- 
gether distinct from the music of verse. The one is matter of rule, 
the other of taste and feeling. Music is not an absolute necessity 
of verse ; the metrical form is a necessity, being that which consti- 
tutes the verse. 

The plays of Shakespeare (with the exception of rhymed pas- 
sages, and of occasional songs and interludes) are all in unrhymed 
or blank verse ; and the normal form of this blank verse is illus- 
Two gentlemen — 8 113 



114 Notes 

trated by the second line of the present play: "Home-keeping 
youth have ever homely wits." 

This line, it will be seen, consists of ten syllables, with the even 
syllables (2d, 4th, 6th, 8th, and loth) accented, the odd syllables 
(ist, 3d, etc.) being unaccented. Theoretically, it is made up of 
five feet of two syllables each, with the accent on the second sylla- 
ble. Such a foot is called an ia?nbus (plural, ia77ibuses^ or the Latin 
iambi) ^ and the form of verse is called iambic. 

This fundamental law of Shakespeare's verse is subject to certain 
modifications, the most important of which are as follows : — 

1. After the tenth syllable an unaccented syllable (or even two 
such syllables) may be added, forming what is sometimes called a 
fe7nale line; as in i. I. 13: '* Some rare noteworthy object in 
thy travel." The rhythm is complete with the first syllable of 
travel, the second being an extra eleventh syllable. In i. 2. 3 
("Ay, madam, so you stumble not unheedfuUy ")we have two extra 
syllables, the rhythm being complete with the second syllable of 
unheedfuUy. 

2. The accent in any part of the verse may be shifted from an 
even to an odd syllable ; as in i. i. i : "Cease to persuade, my 
loving Proteus ; " and 23 : " That's a deep story of a deeper love." 
In both lines the accent is shifted from the second to the first 
syllable. This change occurs very rarely in the tenth syllable, 
and seldom in the fourth ; and it is not allowable in two suc- 
cessive accented syllables. 

3. An extra unaccented syllable may occur in any part of the 
line ; as in i. i. 31, and i. 2. 38. In i. i. 31 the second syllable of 
tedious is superfluous ; and in i. 2. 38 the second syllable of Valen- 
tine. In i. 2. 56, the second syllable oi proffer er is superfluous. 

4. Any unaccented syllable, occurring in an even place immedi- 
ately before or after an even syllable which is properly accented, is 
reckoned as accented for the purposes of the verse ; as, for in- 
stance, in i. I. 5, 7, and 8. In 5 the last syllable of company, in 7 
that of sluggardiz^d, and in 8 that of idleness, are metrically equiva- 



Notes 115 



lent to accented syllables ; and so with the third syllable of 
Valentine in 11 (also in 18), of happiness in 14, and of Hellespont 
in 22. 

5. In many instances in Shakespeare words must be lengthened 
in order to fill out the rhythm : — 

(«) In a large class of words in which e or i is followed by 
another vowel, the e or i is made a separate syllable ; as ocean, 
opinion, soldier, patience, partial, marriage, etc. For instance, in 
this play, ii. 7. 32 (" With willing sport to the wild ocean ") appears 
to have only nine syllables, but ocean is a trisyllable. In v. 2. 41 
("Besides, she did intend confession") confession is a quadrisyl- 
lable. See also notes on i. 2. 99, ii. 7. 87, iv. 2. 107, v. i. 6, 
etc. This lengthening occurs most frequently at the end of the line. 

{h) Many monosyllables ending in r, re, rs, res, preceded by a 
long vowel or diphthong, are often made dissyllables ; txs fare, fear^ 
dear, fire, hair, hour (see on iii. 2. 7), your, etc. In i. 2. 30 
("Fire that's closest kept burns most of all ") Fire is a dissyllable ; 
as also in ii. 7. 22. If the word is repeated in a verse it is often 
both monosyllable and dissyllable; as in M. of V. iii. 2. 20 : "And 
so, though yours, not yours. Prove it so," where either yours 
(preferably the first) is a dissyllable, the other being a monosylla- 
ble. In J. C, iii. I. 172 : "As fire drives out fire, so pity, pity," 
the first fire is a dissyllable. 

{c) Words containing / or r, preceded by another consonant, 
are often pronounced as if a vowel came between or after the con- 
sonants ; as in i. 3. 84 : " O, how this spring of love resembleth " 
[resembl(e)eth]; and in ii. 4. 210: "And that hath dazzled 
[dazzl(e)ed] my reason's light." See also T. of S. ii. i. 158: 
"While she did call me rascal fiddler" [ fiddl(e)er] ; AlPs Well, 
iii. 5. 43: "If you will tarry, holy pilgrim" [pilg(e)rim] ; C. of 
E. V. I. 360: "These are the parents of these children" (chil- 
deren, the original form of the word) ; W. T. iv. 4. 76 : " Grace 
and remembrance [rememb(e) ranee] be to you both ! " etc. 

(^) Monosyllabic exclamations {ay, 0, yea, nay, hail, etc.) and 



ii6 Notes 

monosyllables otherwise emphasized are similarly lengthened ; also 
certain longer words; as commandefnent in M. of V. iv. I. 451 ; 
safety (trisyllable) in Hain. i. 3. 21 ; business (trisyllable, as origi- 
nally pronounced) in /. C. iv. i. 22: "To groan and sweat under 
the business " (so in several other passages) ; and other words 
mentioned in the notes to the plays in which they occur. 

6. Words are also contracted for metrical reasons, like plurals 
and possessives ending in a sibilant, as balance^ horse (for horses 
and horse' s), princess, sense, marriage (plural and possessive), 
image, etc. So with many adjectives in the superlative (like 
deepest in v. 4. 71, stern' st^ kindest, secret' st, etc.), and certain other 
words. 

7. The accent of words is also varied in many instances for 
metrical reasons. Thus we find both revenue and revenue in 
the first scene of the M, N. D. (lines 6 and \^%^ , chdracter (verb) 
and char deter (see on ii. 7. 4), exile and exile (see on iii. 2. 3), 
extreme (see on ii. 7. 22) and extrhne, cdnfine (noun) and confine, 
pursue 2^0.^ pursue, distinct and distinct, etc. 

These instances of variable accent must not be confounded with 
those in which words were uniformly accented differently in the 
time of Shakespeare ; like aspect, impdrtune (see on i. 3. 13 and 
iii. I. 145), sepulchre (wQxb), per sever (see on iii. 2. 28), persever- 
ance, rheumatic, etc. 

8. Alexandrines, or verses of twelve syllables, with six accents, 
occur here and there in the plays ; as in i. i. 30, etc. They must 
not be confounded with female lines with two extra syllables (see 
on I above), or with other lines in which two extra unaccented 
syllables may occur. 

9. Incomplete verses, of one or more syllables, are scattered 
through the plays. See i. 2. 22, -^Z^ 34, 35, 36, 37, etc. 

10. Doggerel measure is used in the very earliest comedies 
(Z. Z. Z. and C. of E. in particular) in the mouths of comic 
characters, but nowhere else in those plays, and never anywhere 
in plays written after 1598. See i. 2. 39, 40, ii. i. 162-170, etc. 



Notes 117 

11. Rhyme occurs frequently in the early plays, but diminishes 
with comparative regularity from that period until the latest. Thus, 
in L. Z. Z. there are about 1 100 rhyming verses (about one-third 
of the whole number), in M, N, D. about 900, in Rich. II, and 
R. and J. about 500 each, while in Cor, and A. and C. there 
are only about 40 each, in Temp, only two, and in W, T, none at 
all, except in the chorus introducing act iv. Songs, interludes, and 
other matter not in ten-syllable measure are not included in this 
enumeration. In the present play, out of some 1500 ten-syllable 
verses, 76 are in rhyme. 

Alternate rhymes are found only in the plays written before 
1599 or 1600. In the present play there are eight lines in i. 3. 
and eleven in iii. I. In Z. Z. Z. there are 242 lines, in M. N. D. 
96 lines, and in C of E, 64 lines. In M, of V. there are only four 
. lines at the end of iii. 2. In Much Ado and A, V. Z. we also 
find a few lines, but none at all in subsequent plays. 

Rhymed couplets^ or " rhyme-tags," are often found at the end of 
scenes ; as in 5 of the 20 scenes of the present play. In HaiJi, 
14 out of 20 scenes, and in Macb. 21 out of 28, have such " tags ; " 
but in the latest plays they are not so frequent. In Temp., for 
instance, there is but one, and in W. T» none. 

12. In this edition of Shakespeare, the final -ed of past tenses 
and participles in verse is printed -V when the word is to be pro- 
nounced in the ordinary way ; as in honour'' d, i. I. 4 and slug- 
gardiz'd, i. I. 7. But when the metre requires that the -^^be made 
a separate syllable, the e is retained ; as in vanquished, i. i. 35, 
where the word is a trisyllable, and yoked (dissyllable), i. i. 40. 
The only variation from this rule is in verbs like cry, die, stie, 
etc., the -ed of which is very rarely, if ever, made a separate 
syllable. 

Shakespeare's Use of Verse and Prose in the Plays. — 
This is a subject to which the critics have given very little atten- 
tion, but it is an interesting study. In this play we find scenes en- 
tirely in verse or in prose, and others in which the two are mixed. 



1 1 8 Notes 

In general, we may say that verse is used for what is distinctly 
poetical, and prose for what is not poetical. The distinction, how- 
ever, is not so clearly marked in the earlier as in the later plays. 
The second scene of M. of V., for instance, is in prose, because 
Portia and Nerissa are talking about the suitors in a familiar and 
playful way ; but in the present play (i. 2), where Julia and Lucetta 
are discussing the suitors of the former in much the same fashion, 
the scene is in verse. Dowden, commenting on Rich. II., remarks : 
" Had Shakespeare written the play a few years later, we may be 
certain that the gardener and his servants (iii. 4) would not have 
uttered stately speeches in verse, but would have spoken homely 
prose, and that humour would have mingled with the pathos of the 
scene. The same remark may be made with reference to the sub- 
sequent scene (v. 5) in which his groom visits the dethroned king 
in the Tower." Comic characters and those in low life generally 
speak in prose in the later plays, as Dowden intimates, but in the 
very earliest ones doggerel verse is much used instead. See on 10 
above. 

The change from prose to verse is well illustrated in the third 
scene of M. of V. It begins with plain prosaic talk about a 
business matter ; but when Antonio enters, it rises at once to the 
higher level of poetry. The sight of Antonio reminds Shylock of 
his hatred of the Merchant, and the passion expresses itself in 
verse, the vernacular tongue of poetry. 

The reasons for the choice of prose or verse are not always so 
clear as in this instance. We are seldom puzzled to explain the 
prose, but .not unfrequently we meet with verse where we might 
expect prose. As Professor Corson remarks (^Introduction to Shake- 
spea7'e, 1889), " Shakespeare adopted verse as the general tenor of 
his language, and therefore expressed much in verse that is within 
the capabilities of prose ; in other words, his verse constantly en- 
croaches upon the domain of prose, but his prose can never be said 
to encroach upon the domain of verse." If in rare instances we 
think we find exceptions to this latter statement, and prose actually 



Notes 1 1 9 



seems to usurp the place of verse, I believe that careful study of 
the passage will prove the supposed exception to be apparent 
rather than real. 

Some Books for Teachers and Students. — Afev/out of the 
many books that might be commended to the teacher and the criti- 
cal student are the foUov^^ing: Halliwell-Phillipps's Outlines of the 
Life of Shakespeare (yth ed. 1887); Sidney Lee's Life of Shake- 
speare (1898; for ordinary students the abridged ed. of 1899 is 
preferable) ; Rolfe's Life of Shakespeare (1904); Schmidt's Shake- 
speare Lexicon (3d ed. 1902); Littledale's ed. of Dyce's Glossary 
(1902); Bartlett's Concordance to Shakespeare (1895); Abbott's 
Shakespearian Grammar (1873); Furness's "New Variorum" 
ed. of the plays (encyclopaedic and exhaustive) ; Dowden's Shak- 
spere : His Mind and Art (American ed. 1881); Hudson's Z2/^, 
Art^ and Characters of Shakespeare (revised ed. 1882); Mrs. 
Jameson's Characteristics of Women (several eds. ; some with the 
title, Shakespeare Heroines^ ; Ten Brink's Five Lectures on 
Shakespeare (1895); Boas's Shakespeare and His Predecessors 
(1895)5 Dyer's Folk-lore of Shakespeare (American ed. 18S4); 
Gervinus's Shakespeare Commentaries (Bunnett's translation, 
1875); Wordsworth's Shakespeare^ s Knowledge of the Bible (2>^ 
ed. 1880); Elson's Shakespeare in Music (1901). 

Some of the above books will be useful to all readers who are 
interested in special subjects or in general criticism of Shakespeare. 
Among those which are better suited to the needs of ordinary 
readers and students, the following may be mentioned: Mabie's 
William Shakespeare : Poet^ Dramatist^ aitd Man (1900); Dow- 
den's Shakspere Primer (1877; small but invaluable); Rolfe's 
Shakespeare the Boy (1896 ; not a mere juvenile book, but treating 
of the home and school life, the games and sports, the manners, 
customs, and folk-lore of the poet's time) ; Guerber's Myths of 
Greece and Rome (for young students who may need informa- 
tion on mythological allusions not explained in the notes). 

Black's /«(/?V^ Shakespeare (1884 ; a novel, but a careful study 



I20 Notes 

of the scene and the time) is a book that I always commend to 
young people, and their elders will also enjoy it. The Lambs' 
Tales from Shakespeare is a classic for beginners in the study of 
the dramatist ; and in Rolfe's ed. the plan of the authors is carried 
out in the Notes by copious illustrative quotations from the plays. 
Mrs. Cowden-Clarke's Girlhood of Shakespeare^ s Heroines (Boston 
ed. 1904) will particularly interest girls ; and both girls and boys 
will find Bennett's Master Skylark (1897) and Imogen Clark's 
Will Shakespeare's Little Lad (1897) equally entertaining and in- 
structive. 

H. Snowden Ward's Shakespeare's Town and Times (2d ed. 1902) 
and John Leyland's Shakespeare Country (2d ed. 1903) are copiously 
illustrated books (yet inexpensive) which may be particularly 
commended for school libraries. 

Abbreviations in the Notes. — The abbreviations of the 
names of Shakespeare's plays will be readily understood; as 
T. N. for Twelfth Nighty Cor. for Coriolanus, 3 Hen, VL, for 
The Third Part of King Henry the Sixth, etc. P, P, refers to 
The Passionate Pilgrim. ; V. and A. to Venus and Adonis ; L. C, 
to Lover'* s Complaint ; and Sonn. to the Sonnets, 

Other abbreviations that hardly need explanation are Cf {confer, 
compare), FoL (following), Ld. {Idem, the same), and Prol. (pro- 
logue). The numbers of the lines in the references (except for the 
present play) are those of the "Globe" edition (the cheapest and 
best edition of Shakespeare in one compact volume), which is now 
generally accepted as the standard for line-numbers in works of ref- 
erence (Schmidt's Lexicon, Abbott's Grammar, Dowden's Primer, 
the publications of the New Shakspere Society, etc.). 




Beadsman 



ACT I 



Dramatis Persons. — The ist folio has the following list at the 
end of the play ; — 

The Names of all the Actors. 



tine. ) 

'US. ) 



the two Gentlemen. 



Duke : Father to Siluia. 

Valentine. 

Protheus. 

Anthonio : father to Protheus. 

Thurio : a foolish riuall to Val- 
entine. 

Eglamoure : Agent for Siluia in 
her escape. 



Host : where lulia lodges. 

Out-lawes with Valentine. 

Speed : a clownish seruantto Val- 
entine. 

Launce : the like to Protheus. 

Panthion : semant to Antonio. 

lulia : beloued of Protheus. 

Siluia : beloued of Valentine. 

Lucetta : waighting-woman to 
lulia. 



Protheus is the old way of spelling Proteus. Steevens quotes 
Gascoigne, Princely Pleasures at Kenelworth Castle^ 1587 : ''^Pro- 
theus appeared, sitting on a dolphyn's back ; " and Barclay, Ec- 
logues : ** Like as Protheus oft chaungeth his nature." Clarke 
remarks : ** To the fickle, unstable, changeable character thus des- 
ignated, we have always felt a certain propriety in the poet's assign- 

121 



122 Notes [Act I 

ing the name of Proteus ; a sea-deity, whose power of changing his 
shape has become proverbial as a type of changeableness." 

On the spelling of the name, cf. Anthoyiio for Antonio ; and the 
pronunciation of th in many words {nioth, Goth, nothing, etc.) was 
often, if not regularly, identical with t. Malone says that Lydgate 
has Thelephus and Anthenor ; and in the old translation of the 
Gesta Romafiorum, 1580, we find Athalanta for Atalanta, 

Panthion occurs in the folio only in the list of "Actors" and in 
the stage-directions. In the text (i. 3. i) it is ^^ Panthino " or (i. 3. 
76) " Panthmo,''^ which is obviously a misprint for ^^ Panthino." 
In the heading of i. 3 we also find " Etiter Antonio and Pattthino.'''* 

Scene I. — 2. Home-keeping youth have ever homely wits, Stee- 
vens quotes Milton, Comus, 748 : — 

" It is for homely features to keep home ; 
They had their name thence." 

Knight remarks : " Travelling was the passion of Shakspere's times 
— the excitement of those who did not specially devote themselves 
to war, or discovery, or learning. The general practice of travel- 
ling supplies one amongst many proofs that the nation was grow- 
ing commercial and rich, and that a spirit of inquirv^ was spread 
amongst the higher classes, which made it * impeachment ' to their 
age not to have looked upon foreign lands in their season of youth 
and activity." 

6. The world abroad. One would suppose that Valentine was 
going on a journey to some far country rather than to an Italian 
city only ninetv^ miles off. 

7. Than, living, etc. According to the construction, living would 
refer to the preceding /, and we should expect my instead of thy in 
the next line ; but such " confusion of construction " occurs often 
in S. 

8. Shapeless. Without definite aim. ** The expression is fine, as 
implying that idleness prevents the giving any form or character to 
the manners" (Warburton). 



Scene I] Notes 1 23 

18. Beadsman, One who prays in behalf of another; as in 
Rich, III, iii. 2. 1 1 6, the only other instance in S. See also an 
instance of the word in the note on i. 3. 27 below. Cf. Hen, 
V, iv. I. 315 : — 

*' Five hundred poor I have in yearly pay, 
Who twice a day their wither'd hands hold up 
Toward heaven, to pardon blood." 

19. Love-book, Story of love ; instead of the prayer-book upon 
which, in Catholic usage, the beads were laid and counted off as the 
prayers were recited. 

22. Leander, Malone sees an allusion to the poem of Musseus 
on Hero and Leander, translated by Marlowe ; but this was not 
printed till 1598, though entered on the Stationers' Registers in 
1593. The story was doubtless familiar to the poet from his school- 
days. For other allusions to it, cf. iii. i. 120 below. Much Ado, v. 
2. 30, A, V, L, iv. i. 100, and M, N, D,\. i. 198. 

25. For, Changed by some to " but " and to " and." Dyce 
says : " The old text, if right, must be explained : * Yes, it is cer- 
tainly true ; for you are not merely, as he was, over shoes in love, 
but even over boots in love, and yet,' etc. — for you are corre- 
sponding to the former For he wasj^ 

27. Give me not the boots, "A proverbial expression, though 
now disused, signifying, don't make a laughing-stock of me, don't 
play upon me. The French have a phrase, Bailler foin en come, 
which Cotgrave thus interprets : * To give one the boots ; to sell 
him a bargain'" (Theobald). Steevens is doubtful whether the 
expression took its origin from a Warwickshire sport, in which the 
victim was " laid on a bench and slapped on the breech with a 
pair of boots," or from the ancient engine of torture known as the 
boots, 

30. Coy looks, etc. To avoid the Alexandrine some editors omit 
fading. 

34. However, However it may turn out, in any case. 



1 24 Notes [Act I 

37. By your circumstance, " Circumstance here means con- 
duct ; in the preceding line, circumstantial deduction" (Malone), 

42. As in the sweetest bud^ etc. Malone quotes Sonn, 70. 7 : 
" For canker vice the sweetest buds doth love." On canker = 
canker-worm, cf. M, N. D, ii. 2. 3, Ham, i. 3. 39, etc. 

49. His, Its ; as often before its came into general use. Cf. 
iii. 2. 8 below. 

52. Fond. Doting. When the word is used in this sense, it often 
carries with it the more common old meaning of foolish. Cf. iv. 4. 
196 below. 

53. Road, Port, haven ; as in ii. 4. 187 below. 

57. To Milan, Changed in the 2d folio and some modern eds. 
to " At Milan ; " but the meaning is by letters to Alilan, 

61. Bechance. Cf. R. of L. 976 : " Let there bechance him piti- 
ful mischances," etc. 

69. • Thought. Schmidt makes this = love : but it may be = anx- 
iety, as in A, and C, iv. 6. 35, etc. 

71. Embark for Milan. According to Elze, Milan and Verona 
were actually connected by canals in the i6th century, but it is not 
likely that S. was aware of it. The references to the tide (ii. 3. 38) 
and to the danger of shipwreck (149 below) prove that he had a 
sea voyage in mind, not a passage by canal. 

73. Sheep. For the play on ship and sheep, which seem to have 
been pronounced nearly alike, cf. C, of E. iv. I. 93 and Z. Z. Z. ii. 
I. 219. 

83. It shall go hard but Til, etc. Cf. M. ofV. iii. I. 75 : "It 
shall go hard but I will better the instruction," etc. 

97. Laced 7?iutto7i. Schmidt says : " According to glossarists 
and commentators, a cant term for a prostitute ; but probably only 
= woman's flesh, a petticoat, a smock." Cotgrave defines laced 
mutton by " une garse, putain, fille de joye ; " and the quotations 
given by Steevens, Malone, and others show plainly enough that it 
commonly meant a loose woman rather than a *' straight-laced " one. 
In the present passage, however, it may have the sense that Schmidt 



Scene I] Notes 125 

gives it ; or, as White better puts it, " a fine piece of woman's flesh." 
Staunton, who takes it in the ordinary sense, says that " the only 
paUiation for Speed's application of it is that in reality it was not 
the lady, but her waiting-maid, to whom he gave the letter." 

loi. You were best. It would be best for you. Cf. i. 3. 24 
below. The pronoun was originally the dative, but S. doubtless 
took it to be the nominative. 

103. Astray. The pointing is that of the folios. The Cam- 
bridge ed. gives : ** Nay : in that you are astray, 't were best," etc. 

Pound = impound, or put in a pound, like stray cattle. The 
play on pound in Speed's reply is obvious. 

108. Pinfold. Cf. Lear^ ii. 2. 9 : " In Lipsbury pinfold ; " and 
Milton, Co7nus, 7 ; "Confin'd and pester'd in this pinfold here." 

III. But what said she? Theobald added " Did she nod?" 
which some others adopt, on account of Speed's " you ask me if 
she did nod " just below ; but the oversight may be Shakespeare's. 

113. Thafs noddy. For the quibble. Reed compares Wifs Pri- 
vate Wealth, 1612 : "give her a nod, but follow her not, lest you 
prove a noddy." It does not seem necessary to follow the old 
eds. in printing " I " for ay (as they uniformly do), in order to 
make the joke obvious. 

126. Beshrew me. A mild form of imprecation, often used, as 
here, merely to emphasize an assertion. Cf. ii. 4. 75 below. 

131. Delivered. There is a play on the sense of " report." Cf. 
iii. 2. 35 below. 

140. In telling your mind. That is, when you tell her your 
mind, or make suit to her. 

143. What, said she nothing? The Cambridge ed. reads " What 
said she? nothing?" 

146. Testerned me. Given me a tester, testern, or sixpence. Cf. 
2 Hen. IV. iii. 2. 296 : " there 's a tester for you," etc. The ist 
folio misprints " cestern'd ;" corrected in the 2d folio. The verb is 
used by S. only here. 

149. Wrack. The only spelling in the early eds. Cf. the 



126 Notes [Act I 

rhymes in F. and A. 558, R. of L. 841, 965, Sonn. 126. 5, and Macb, 

V. 5. 51- 

151. Being destined to a drier death on shore. That is, to be 
hanged. Cf. Temp, i. i. 31 fol. and Id. v. i. 217. 

Clarke says : " It is worthy of remark that Speed's flippancy 
exceeds the licensed pertness of a jester, and degenerates into 
impertinence when speaking with Proteus ; thus subtly conveying 
the dramatist's intention in the character itself. Had Proteus not 
been the mean, unworthy man he is, as gentleman and lover. 
Speed had not dared to twit him so broadly with his niggardly and 
reluctant recompense, or to speak in such free terms of the lady 
Proteus addresses." 

153. Deign. Deign to accept. 

154. Post. Messenger; as in Temp. ii. i. 248, Cor. v. 6. 50, etc. 

Scene II. — 5. Parle. Parley, talk ; elsewhere only (literally 
or figuratively) in the military sense of a parley, or conference 
with regard to terms of truce or peace. Cf. K.John, ii. i. 205, 
226, Hen. V. iii. 3. 2, etc. 

7. Please you repeat their names, etc. Cf. M .of V. i, 2. 39 : "I 
pray thee, overname them ; and as thou namest them, I will de- 
scribe them," etc. 

9. Sir Eglamour. Not the same as the friend of Silvia in iv. 3. 

19. Censure. Pass judgment ; not elsewhere followed by on. 
For the transitive use in this sense, cf. Much Ado, ii. 3. 233, K. 
John, ii. I. 328, etc. 

27. Mov'd me. Addressed me on the subject ; as move is often 
used. Cf. C. of E. ii. 2. 183 : "To me she speaks ; she moves me 
for her theme." See also A. W. i. 2. 6, Hen. VIII. ii. 4. 209, 217, 
etc. 

30. Fire. Pope reads "The fire ;" but fire is sometimes a dis- 
syllable. Cf. ii. 7. 22 below. See also p. 115 above. 

41. Broker. Go-between. Cf. K. John, ii. I. 582 : "This 
bawd, this broker," etc. See also Hafn. i. 3. 127. 



Scene II] Notes 127 

50. overlook' d. Looked over, perused ; as in M. N, D, ii. 2. 

121 : — 

"And leads me to your eyes, where I o'erlook 
Love's stories written in love's richest book." 

See also Lear, v. i. 50, Hen. V. ii. 4. 90, etc. 

53. What fool is she. The folios, except the 4th, print " what ' 
foole," and some modern eds. give " what a fool ; " but the article 
was sometimes omitted in such cases. Cf. J. C i. 3. 42 : " Cassius, 
what night is this ! " etc. 

62. Angerly. Cf. K. John, iv. I. 82 and Macb. iii. 5. i. Adjec- 
tives in -ly are often used adverbially by S. 

68. Stomach, There is a play upon the senses of wrath (see 
Lear, v. 3. 74, etc.) and hunger ; also upon meat (pronounced 7nate^ 
and maid, Cf. the quibble on baits and beats in W. T. ii. 3. 92, etc. 

76, 77. Then let it lie, etc. The play on the two senses of lie is 
obvious. 

81. Set. That is, set to music. Julia plays upon the word in 
her reply. 

%'i^. Light d* love. For another allusion to this popular old tune, 
see Much Ado, iii. 4. 44 : " Clap 's into * Light o' love ; ' that goes 
without a burden." Here it is said to have a burden, or refrain; 
but the statement in Much Ado is correct. Elson (^Shakespeare and 
Music, p. 100) gives the original music. 

94. Descant. Malone explains this as "variations," and Schmidt 
as " treble ; " but White shows that the word means the adding of 
other parts to the " ground " or theme. He quotes Phillips, New 
World of Words: "Descant (in Musick) signifies the Art of Com- 
posing in several parts," etc. Florio defines Contrapunto as "a 
counterpoint ; also a descant in musicke or singing." See also 
Elson, pp. 89, 102. Cf. the figurative use of the word in Rich. ILL 
iii. 7. 49 : ** For on that ground I '11 make a holy descant." 

Knight remarks: "This play contains several indications of the 
prevailing taste for music, and exhibits an audience proficient in 
its technical terms ; for Shakspere never addressed words to his 



128 Notes [Act I 

hearers which they could not understand. This taste was a distin- 
guishing characteristic of the age of Elizabeth ; it was not extinct 
in those of the first Charles ; but it was lost amidst the puritanism 
of the Commonwealth and the profligacy of the Restoration, and 
has yet to be born again amongst us." 

95. Mean, Tenor. Cf. W, T. iv. 3. 46 : "they are most of 
them means and bases ; " and Z. Z. Z. v. 2. 328 : — 

" nay, he can sing 
A mean most meanly," etc. 

97. I bid the base. Alluding to the game of prison-base, in 
which the fastest runner wins. Cf. V, and A. 303: "To bid the 
wind a base he now prepares " (that is, challenges the wind to run 
a race) ; and Cymb. v. 3. 20 : — 

' ' lads more like to run 
The country base than to commit such slaughter." 

See also Spenser, Skep, KaL Oct. 5 : "In rymes, in ridles, and in 
bydding base." 

99. Coil Ado, " fuss." Cf C. of E, iii. i. 48 : " What a coil is 
there, Dromio ? " See also Muck Ado, iii. 3. 100, v. 2. 98, M, N, D, 
iii. 2. 339, etc. Protestation is metrically five syllables. 

104. Nay, would I, etc. Staunton has little doubt that this line is 
part of Lucetta's side speech. It is inconsistent, he says, that Julia 
should reply to what is spoken aside, and the reply is moreover 
without meaning in her mouth. If it belongs to Julia, the mean- 
ing evidently must be that she would be glad to get another such 
letter. She has overheard what Lucetta has said, and the repeti- 
tion of anger^dh ironical. There are elsewhere occasional instances 
in S. in which a speech spoken aside is thus overheard. 

108. Several. Separate ; as often. 

109. Writ. S. also has written for the participle; as in 117 
below. 

115. Throughly. Used by S. interchangeably with thoroughly, 
but throughly more frequently — thirteen times to four. 



Scene II] Notes 129 

116. Search. Probe. Cf. A. V. L, ii. 4. 4: "searching of thy 
wound, etc. 

121. Fearful-hanging. The hyphen was first inserted by Delius. 

124. Forlorn. Accented on the first syllable (as in v. 4. 12 be- 
low) because preceding a noun so accented. Cf. Sonn. ^iZ- 7 * 
" And from the forlorn world his visage hide." On the other hand, 
see R. of L, 1500 : " And whom she finds forlorn she doth lament ; " 
and L. L, L. v. 2. 805 : " To some forlorn and naked hermitage." 
For many similar examples, see Schmidt, p. 1413 fol. 

126. Silh. Since. It occurs often in S. Sithence, of which it 
is a contraction, is found twice: in A. W. i. 3. 124 and Cor. iii. 
I. 47- 

134. Respect them. Care about them. Cf. Rich. III. i. 3. 296 : — 
" Gloster. What doth she say, my Lord of Buckingham ? 
Buckingham. Nothing that I respect, my gracious lord." 

The play on take up in Lucetta's reply needs no comment ; and the 
same is true of many quibbles in this scene. 

136. For catching cold. That is, for fear of catching cold. Cf. 
Sonn. 52. 4 : — 

" So am I as the rich, whose blessed key 
Can bring him to his sweet up-locked treasure, 
The which he will not every hour survey. 
For blunting the fine point of seldom pleasure ; " 

and 2 Hen. VI. iv. i. 74 : — 

" Now will I dam up this thy yawning mouth. 
For swallowing the treasure of the realm." 

137. A month^s mind. An earnest wish or longing. The ex- 
pression is said to have originated in the periodical celebration of 
mass for the souls of the dead. Grey quotes Strype, Memorials : 
" Was the month's mind of Sir William Laxton, who died the last 
month, his hearse burning with wax, and the morrow-mass cele- 
brated," etc. Puttenham, in his Arte of Poesie, says that poetical 
lamentations were chiefly used " at the burials of the dead, also at 

TWO GENTLEMEN — 9 



ijo Notes [Act I 

month's minds, and longer times." Schmidt explains the phrase 
here as = " a woman's longing." Steevens suggests " monthes " 
for the measure, and White reads *' moneth's." The word is evi- 
dently dissyllabic, as Schmidt makes it in 3 Hen. VI. ii. 5. 38 : " So 
minutes, hours, days, months, and years." The old form 77io7teth 
does not occur in S. 

139. WUik. Shut my eyes ; as often. Cf. v. 2. 14 below. 

Scene III. — I. Sad. Serious. Cf. /^F. T. iv. 4. 316: "in sad 
talk ; " Much Ado, i. I. 185 : " Speak you this with a sad brow ? " 
etc. 

2. Cloister. Not necessarily a " monastery " (the only meaning 
recognized by Schmidt in S.), as the word is used for colonnades 
in other buildings. 

6. Of sle7ider reputation. "That is, who are thought slightly of, 
are of little consequence" (Steevens). 

7. Put forth. Send away (from home). 

9. Some to discover islands far away. " In Shakespeare's time, 
voyages for the discovery of the islands of America were much in 
vogue ; and we find, in the journals of the travellers of that time, 
that the sons of noblemen, and of others of the best families in 
England, went very frequently on these adventures" (Warburton). 
Gifford, in his Memoirs of Ben Jo7iso7t, prefixed to his edition of that 
dramatist, says : " The long reign of Elizabeth, though sufficiently 
agitated to keep the mind alert, was yet a season of comparative 
stability and peace. The nobility, who had been nursed in domes- 
tic turbulence, for which there was now no place, and the rriore 
active spirits among the gentry, for whom entertainment could no 
longer be found in feudal grandeur and hospitality, took advantage 
of the diversity of employment happily opened, and spread them- 
selves in every direction. They put forth, in the language of 
Shakespeare, 

' Some, to the wars, to try their fortunes there; 
Some, to discover islands far away ; 
Some, to the studious universities ; ' 



Scene III] Notes 131 

and the effect of these various pursuits was speedily discernible. 
The feelings narrowed and embittered in household feuds ex- 
panded and purified themselves in distant warfare, and a high 
sense of honour and generosity, and chivalrous valour, ran with 
electric speed from bosom to bosom, on the return of the first 
adventurers in the Flemish campaigns ; while the wonderful re- 
ports of discoveries, by the intrepid mariners who opened the 
route since so successfully pursued, faithfully committed to writing, 
and acting at once upon the cupidity and curiosity of the times, 
produced an inconceivable effect in diffusing a thirst for novelties 
among a people who, no longer driven in hostile array to destroy 
one another, and combat for interests in which they took little 
concern, had leisure for looking around them, and consulting their 
own amusement." 

Knight remarks : " Here, in three lines, we have a recital of the 
great principles that, either separately, or more frequently in com- 
bination, gave their impulses to the ambition of an Essex, a Sidney, 
a Raleigh, and a Drake : War, still conducted in a chivalrous 
spirit, though with especial reference to the * preferment ' of the 
soldier; Discovery, impelled by the rapid development of the com- 
mercial resources of the nation, and carried on in a temper of 
enthusiasm which was prompted by extraordinary success and 
extravagant hope ; and Knowledge, a thirst for which had been 
excited throughout Europe by the progress of the Reformation 
and the invention of printing, which opened the stores of learning 
freely to all men. These pursuits had succeeded to the fierce and 
demoralizing passions of our long civil wars, and the more terrible 
contentions that had accompanied the great change in the national 
religion. The nation had at length what, by comparison, was a 
settled government. It could scarcely be said to be at war ; for 
the assistance which Elizabeth afforded to the Hugonots in France, 
and to those who fought for freedom of conscience and for inde- 
pendence of Spanish dominion in the Netherlands, gave a healthy 
.stimulus to the soldiers of fortune who drew their swords for Henry 



132 Notes [Act I 

of Navarre and Maurice of Nassau ; and though the English peo- 
ple might occasionally lament the fate of some brave and accom- 
plished leader, as they wept for the death of Sidney at Zutphen. 
there was Httle of general suffering that might make them look 
upon those wars as any thing more to be dreaded than some well- 
fought tournament. Shakspere, indeed, has not forgotten the 
connection between the fields where honour and fortune were to 
be won by wounds, and the knightly lists where the game of mimic 
war was still played upon a magnificent scale ; where the courtier 
might, without personal danger, * practise tilts and tournaments,' 
before his queen, who sat in her 'fortress of perfect beauty,' to 
witness the exploits of the * foster-children of desire,' amidst the 
sounds of cannon * fired with perfumed powder,' and * moving 
mounts and costly chariots, and other devices.' " 

13. Importune, Accented by S. on the second syllable. Cf. 
Ham. i. 3. no, Oth, iii. 4, 108, etc. 

15. Impeachnunt, Reproach, discredit. Cf. the verb in i^. A'l Z>. ' 
ii. I. 214: "You do impeach your modesty too much," etc 

24. Were I best. Would it be best for me. See on L i. loi 
above. 

27. Tlu emperor. " S. has been guilty of no mistake in placing 
the emperor's court at Milan. Several of the first German em- 
perors held their courts there occasionally, it being at that time 
their immediate property, and the chief town of their Italian 
dominions. Some of them were crowned kings of Italy at Milan 
before they received the imperial crown at Rome. Nor has the 
poet fallen into any contradiction by gi\"ing a duke to Milan at the 
same time that the emperor held his court there. The first dukes 
of that and all the other great cities in Italy were not sovereign 
princes, as they afterwards became, but were merely governors. 
or vicero3rs, under the emperors, and removable at their pleasure 
(Steevens). 

30. There shall he practise tilts and tournaments. " St. Palaye. 
in his Memoirs of Chivalry, says that, in their private castles, the 



Scene III] Notes 1 33 

gentlemen practised the exercises which would prepare them for 
the public tournaments. This refers to the period which appears 
to have terminated some half-century before the time of Elizabeth, 
when real warfare was conducted with express reference to the laws 
of knighthood ; and the tourney, with all its magnificent array, — 
its minstrels, its heralds, and its damosels in lofty towers, — had its 
hard blows, its wounds, and sometimes its deaths. There were 
the *Joustes k outrance,' or the 'Joustes mortelles et a champ,' 
of Froissart. But the * tournaments * that Shakspere sends Pro- 
teus to * practise ' were the * Joustes of Peace,' the * Joustes a plai- 
sance,' the tournaments of gay pennons and pointless lances. 
They had all the gorgeousness of the old knightly encounters, but 
they appear to have been regarded only as courtly pastimes, and 
not as serious preparations for *a well-foughten field.' One or two 
instances from the annals of these times will at least amuse our 
readers, if they do not quite satisfy them that these combats were 
as harmless to the combatants as the fierce encounters between 
other less noble actors — the heroes of the stage. 

**0n Whitsun Monday, 1581, a most magnificent tournament 
was held in the Tilt-yard at Westminster, in honour of the Dau- 
phin, and other noblemen and gentlemen of France, who had 
arrived as commissioners to the queen. Holinshed describes the 
proceedings respecting this * Triumph ' at great length. A magnifi- 
cent gallery was erected for the queen and her court, which was 
called by the combatants the fortress of perfect beauty ; * and not 
without cause, forasmuch as her highness would be there included.' 
Four gentlemen — the Earl of Arundel, the Lord Windsor, Mr. 
Philip Sidney, and Mr. Fulke Greville — calling themselves the 
foster-children of Desire, laid claim to this fortress, and vowed to 
withstand all who should dare to oppose them. Their challenge 
being accepted by certain gentlemen of the court, they proceeded 
(in gorgeous apparel, and attended by squires and attendants 
richly dressed) forthwith to the tilt, and on the following day to 
the tourney, where they behaved nobly and bravely, but, at length. 



134 Notes [Act I 

snbmitted to the queen, acknowledging that they ought not to 
have accompanied Desire by Violence, and concluding a long 
speech, full of the compliments of the day, by declaring themselves 
thenceforth slaves to the 'Fortress of Perfect Beautie.' These 
' Courtlie triumphs ' were arranged and conducted in the most costly 
manner. The queen's gallery was painted in imitation of stone 
and covered with ivy and garlands of flowers ; cannons were fired 
with perfumed powder ; the dresses of the knights and courtieis 
were of the richest stu&, and covered with precious stones ; and 
moving mounts, costly chariots, and many other devices were intro- 
duced to give effect to the scene. 

** In the reign of Elizabeth there were annual exercises of arms, 
which were first commenced by Sir Henry Lee. This worthy 
knight made a vow to appear armed in the Tilt-yard at Westmins- 
ter on the 27th November (the anniversary of the queen's acces- 
sion) in every year, until disabled by age, where he offered to tilt 
with all comers, in honour of Her Majesty^s accession. He con- 
tinued the queen's champion until the thirty-third year of her 
reign, when, having arrived at the sixtieth year of his age, he 
resigned in fevour of George, Earl of Cumberland, who was in- 
vested in the office with much form and solemnity in 159a It was 
on the 27th November in that year, that Sir Henry Lee, having 
performed his devoirs in the lists for the last time, and with much 
applause, accompanied by the Earl of Cumberland, presented him- 
self before the queen, who was seated in her gallery overlooking 
the lists, and, kneeling on one knee, humbly besought Her Maj- 
esty to accept the Earl of Cumberland for her knight, to continue 
the yearly exercises which he was compelled, from infirmities of 
age, himself to relinquish. The queen graciously accepting the 
offer, the old knight presented his armour at Her Majesty's feet, 
and then assisting in fastening the armour of the earl, he mounted 
him on his horse. This ceremony being performed, he put upon 
his own person a side coat of * black velvet pointed under the arm, 
and covered his head (in lieu of a helmet) with a buttoned cap of 



Scene III] Notes 135 

the country fashion/ Then, whilst music was heard proceeding 
from a magnificent temple which had been erected for the occa- 
sion, he presented to the queen, through the hands of three beau- 
tiful maidens, a veil curiously wrought and richly adorned, and 
other gifts of great magnificence, and declared that, although his 
youth and strength had decayed, his duty, faith, and love remained 
perfect as ever ; his hands, instead of wielding the lance, should 
now be held up in prayer for Her Majesty's welfare ; and he 
trusted she would allow him to be her Beadsman, now that he had 
ceased to incur knightly perils in her service. But the queen com- 
plimented him upon his gallantry, and desired that he would 
attend the future annual jousts, and direct the knights in their 
proceedings ; for indeed his virtue and valour in arms were de- 
clared by all to be deserving of command. In the course of the 
good old knight's career of * virtue aud valour in arms,' he was 
joined by many companions, anxious to distinguish themselves in 
all courtly and chivalrous exercises. One duke, nineteen earls, 
twenty-seven barons, four knights of the garter, and above one 
hundred and fifty other knights and esquires, are stated to have 
taken part in these annual feats of arms. 

" If Shakspere had not looked upon these * Annual Exercises of 
Arms,' when he thought of the tournaments * in the emperor's 
court,' he had probably been admitted to the Tilt-yard at Kenil- 
worth, on some occasion of magnificent display by the proud 
Leicester" (Knight). 

32. Be in eye of. Have opportunities of seeing. 

37. Expedition, Metrically five syllables. 

44. And — in good time ! And here he comes most opportunely ! 
" In good time was the old expression when something happened 
which suited the thing in hand, as the French say, a propos^'* 
(Johnson). Cf. Rich. III. ii. i. 45, iii. I. 24, 95, iii. 4. 22, etc. 

Break with him. Broach the matter to him. Cf. iii. i. 59 below. 

5. uses the expression often in this sense ; but only once ( Cor. iv. 

6. 48) with the familiar modern meaning. 



136 Notes [Act I 

47. Her honour'' s pawn. That is, pledge. Cf. ii. 4. 91 below. 

48. Applaud. Approve ; used in a weaker sense than now, as 
in several other passages. S. also uses it in the modern sense ; 
as in Macb. v. 3. 53 : "I would applaud thee to the very echo," 
etc. 

63. Sorted. Conformable to, in harmony with. Something is 
adverbial, as often. 

64. Muse. Wonder. Cf. K. John, iii. I. 317: "I muse your 
majesty doth seem so cold ; " Cor. iii. 2. 7 : — 

" I muse my mother 
Does not approve me further," etc. 

65. And there an end. And that's the end of it ; as in ii. I. 164 
below and elsewhere. 

67. Valentinus. The reading of the ist folio. The later folios 
have " Valentino," and Warburton gives " Valentine." 

69. Exhibition. Allowance ; as in Lear, i. 2. 25, 0th. i. 3. 238, 
iv. 3. 75, Cymb. i. 6. 122, etc. 

71. Excuse. Endeavour to evade by excuses. 

84. Resembleth. Here a quadrisyllable. So dazzled is a trisyl- 
lable in ii. 4. 210 below. Pope reads " resembleth well," and John- 
son suggests " resembleth right," with " light " in place of sun in 
86 for the sake of the rhyme ; but " light " is a poor and weak 
substitute for sun (= sunshine). 




A Page 



ACT II 



Scene I. — 2. One. There is a play on one and on, which seem 
to have been sometimes pronounced alike ; though elsewhere we 
find one rhyming to bone ( K and A. 293), alone (^Sonn. 39. 6), 
Scone (^Macb, v. 8. 74), and thrown (^Cymb. v. 4. 61). 

6. Madam Silvia ! etc. Cf. Launcelot's pretended misunder- 
standing of Shylock in M, of V. ii. 5. 6. 

II. StilL Always; as very often. Cf. v. 4. 43 below. 

18. By these special marks, etc. Cf. A. V. L. iii. 2. 392 fol. 

19. To wreathe your arms, Cf. Z. Z. Z. iv. 3. 135 : " his 
wreathed arms," etc. 

20. Robin-redbreast. Curiously enough, the only mention of the 
bird in S. 

His primer, or " Absey-book " (A'. John, i. 



22. His ABC. 
I. 196). 

24. Takes diet. 
26. Hallowmas. 



Is dieting for his health. 

All-Hallows or All-Saints Day, November ist, 



when, as Toilet says. 



' the poor people in Staflordshire, and per- 
137 



138 Notes [Act II 

haps in other country places, go from parish to parish a-souling, 
as they call it ; that is, begging and puling (or singing small, as 
Bailey's Diet, explains puling) for soul-cakes, or any good thing to 
make them merry." Knight, referring to the poverty and misery 
in England in Shakespeare's day, says: "The beggar not only 
spake * puling ' at Hallowmas, but his importunities or his threats 
were heard at all seasons. The disease of the country was va- 
grancy ; and to this deep-rooted evil there were only applied the 
surface remedies to which Launce alludes, *the stocks' and * the 
pillory.' The whole nation was still in a state of transition from 
semi-barbarism to civilization ; but the foundations of modern 
society had been laid. The labourers had ceased to be vassals ; 
the middle class had been created; the power of the aristocracy 
had been humbled; and the nobles had clustered round the 
sovereign, having cast aside the lo^v tastes which had belonged to 
their fierce condition of independent chieftains. This was a state 
in which literature might, without degradation, be adapted to the 
wants of the general people ; and ' the best public instructor ' then 
was the drama. Shakspere found the taste created ; but it was for 
him, most especially, to purify and exalt it." 

31. Wilk a 7nistress, By a mistress. That = ?>o that; as in 
38 below. 

34. Without. The triple play on the w^ord needs no expla- 
nation. 

37. None else would. " None else w^ould be so simple " (John- 
son) ; or, perhaps, as Clarke explains it, "unless you were so 
simple as to let your love-tokens exteriorly appear, no one would 
perceive them but myself." 

41. To cofnment on your malady. Like the doctors who used 
to judge of diseases by inspecting the patient's water. Cf. T. N. 
iii. 4. 114, 2 Hen. IV. i. 2. 2, and Macb. v. 3. 51. 

45. She, I mean. On she = her (as not unfrequently, and 
sometimes even after a preposition), cf. ^. and C iii. 3. 98: "the 
hand of she there." 



Scene I] Notes 1 39 

50. Hard-favoured. Ill-looking. Cf. A, V. L. iii. 3. 29, etc. 
Ill-favoured occurs often in S. 

63. Account of her beauty. Appreciate her beauty. 

74. Going ungartered. This is one of the marks of a lover in 
A. y, L. iii. 2. See on 18 above. 

79. Put on your hose. That is, to put them on properly. The 
Cambridge editors believe that a rhyme was intended, and suggest 
" cannot see to beyond your nose," or " to put spectacles on your 
nose," or *' to put on your shoes." 

81. Belike. It is likely, probably ; as often. 

84. Swinged. Whipped ; as in iii. i. 377 below. 

86. Stand affected. Cf. i. 3. 60 above. Stand is often " almost 
equivalent to the auxiliary verb to be'''' (Schmidt). 

87. Set. Seated, as opposed to standi with a play on the word. 
96. Motion ! The word meant a puppet-show, and sometimes a 

single puppet. Cf. W. T. iv. 3. 103: "a motion of the Prodigal 
Son." Interpret alludes to the master of the puppet-show, or the 
interpreter^ as he was called, who was the speaker for the inani- 
mate actors. Cf. R. of I. 1326: — 

" To see sad sights moves more than hear them told ; 
For then the eye interprets to the ear 
The heavy motion that it doth behold, 
When every part a part of woe doth bear ; " 

and Ham. iii. 2. 256: "I could interpret between you and your 
love, if I could see the puppets dallying." 

100. Give ye good even ! That is, God give you good even. 
Sometimes the verb is omitted ; as in R, and J. ii. 4. 115 : " God 
ye good morrow ! " For other contractions, cf. L. L. L. iv. i. 42 : 
"God dig-you-den ! " R. and J. i. 2. 58: "God gi' good-den ! " 
("Godgidoden " in the folio), etc. 

102. Sir Valentine and servant. " Sir J. Hawkins says, * Here 
Silvia calls her lover servant, and again her gentle servant. This 
was the common language of ladies to their lovers, at the 



140 Notes [Act II 

time when Shakspere wrote.' Steevens gives several examples of 
this. Henry James Pye, in his * Comments on the Commentators,' 
mentions that, ' in the Noble Gentlemen of Beaumont and Fletcher' 
the lady's gallant has no other name in the dramatis personse than 
servant,' and that 'mistress and servant are always used for lovers 
in Dryden's plays.' It is clear to us, however, that Shakspere here 
uses the words in a much more general sense than that which ex- 
presses the relations between two lovers. At the very moment that 
Valentine calls Silvia mistress, he says that he has written for her 
a letter, — ' some lines to one she loves,' — unto a * secret nameless 
friend ; ' and what is still stronger evidence that the word ' servant ' 
had not the full meaning of lover, but meant a much more general 
admirer, Valentine, introducing Proteus to Silvia, says, 

' Sweet lady, entertain him 
To be my fellow-servant to your ladyship ; * 

and Silvia, consenting, says to Proteus, * Servant, you are welcome 
to a worthless mistress.' 

**Now, when Silvia says this, which, according to the meaning 
which has been attached to the words servant and mistress, would 
be a speech of endearment, she had accepted Valentine really as 
her betrothed lover, and she had been told by Valentine that 
Proteus 

' Had come along with me, but that his mistress 
Did hold his eyes lock'd in her crystal looks.' 

" It appears, therefore, that we must receive these words in a 
very vague sense, and regard them as titles of courtesy, derived, 
perhaps, from the chivalric times, when many a harnessed knight 
and sportive troubadour described the lady whom they had gazed 
upon in the tilt-yard as their * mistress,' and the same lady looked 
upon each of the gallant train as a ' servant ' dedicated to the 
defence of her honour or the praise of her beauty" (Knight). 

no. Clerkly. "Like a scholar" (Steevens); or, perhaps, like 



Scene I] Notes 141 

a good penman (Schmidt). It has the former sense in 2 Hen. VI. 
iii. I. 179: "With ignominious words, though clerkly couch'd" 
(that is, adroitly put). See on i. 2. 62 above. 

115. Stead. Be of use to, help ; as in Temp. i. 2. 165, M. of V. 
i. 3. 7, etc. 

118. Period. Stop, pause. Cf. M. N. Z>. v. i. 96: " IS lake 
periods in the midst of sentences." 

119. And yet. Silvia's iteration of the phrase is slightly sar- 
castic ; and Speed's is more so. 

124. Quaintly. Finely, elegantly; the usual meaning in S. 
Cf. M. of V. ii. 4. 6 : " 'T is vile, unless it may be quaintly order'd," 
etc. So the adjective quaint is regularly = fine, neat, pretty, etc. 
The lady's Yes, yes, suggests her impatience at his slowness to 
understand what she means. 

133. So. That is, so be it, well and good. Cf. M. W. iii. 4. 67 : 
" If it be my luck, so ; if not, happy man be his dole ! " 

143. Reasoning. Saying, talking. Cf. M. of V. ii. 8. 27, etc. 
For the combination of rhyme and reason in Speed's reply, cf. 
M. W. v. 5. 133, C. of E. ii. 2. 149, A. V. L. iii. 2. 418, etc. 

150. By a figure. In the rhetorical sense. Cf. L. L. L. i. 2. 58, 
V. I. 67, v. 2. 408, A. V. L. V. I. 45 ("a figure in rhetoric"), etc. 

160. Earnest. "Used in opposition io jest, and in the sense of 
pledge, or token of future and farther bestowal" (Clarke). 

164. And there an end. And that is the end of it, there's no 
more to say ; as in i. 3. 65 above. 

168. Discover. Disclose, reveal; as in iii. 2. 77 and v. 4. 171 
below. 

169. Herself hath taught, etc. Reflexive pronouns are not 
unfrequently thus used. Cf. ii. 4. 62 below. 

170. In print. "With exactness" (Steevens) ; as if quoting 
the lines. It is not necessary, however, to print the lines as a 
quotation, as some editors do ; for of course they are really Speed's 
own. 

173. Chatneleon. For the old notion that the chameleon lived 



142 Notes [Act II 

on air, cf. Ham. iii. 2. 98 : " of the chameleon's dish ; I eat the 
air." See also ii. 4. 28 below. 

176. Be 77ioved. "Have compassion on me, though your mis- 
tress has none on you" (Malone). 

Scene II. — 4. Turn not. That is, are not inconstant. Cf. 
Hen, V. iii. 6. 35: "she is turning and inconstant," etc. 

5. Keep this reine?nbrance, etc. Here we have an instance of 
the formal betrothal of the olden times. Cf. T, N, v. I. 159: — 

" A contract of eternal bond of love, 
Confirm'd by mutual joinder of your hands, 
Attested by the holy close of lips, 
Strengthened by interchangement of your rings," etc. 

14. The tide is now. See on i. i. 71 above. 

Scene III. — Enter Launce, leadiiig a dog. Knight remarks : 
" The mirth and humour in the play are confined to the two ser- 
vants, Launce and Speed. Launce, who, with his dog Crab, is as 
complete a piece of individuality as Sancho with his ass Dapple, is 
an amusing and original fellow. Some one of the 'commentators 
censures his and his brother-servant Speed's humour as being com- 
prised of the * lowest and most trifling conceits.' It had been well 
that some commentators had restricted themselves solely to the 
verifying of their text with that of the folio of 1623. *Low' the 
' conceits ' of Messrs. Launce and Speed may be, for the authors of 
them are not distinguished by high intellectual or social refine- 
ment ; but surely the * humour ' is good, of its class — quaint, rich, 
and uncommon — although it be not consistent with the modern 
tone of jesting. The commentator would probably have preferred 
the Congreve school of servants, who were quite as refined and 
wdtty as their masters. Nevertheless, Launce's upbraiding Crab 
with his ingratitude, and indecorous conduct in the company of 
other * gentlemanlike dogs' under the Duke's table, is irresistibly 



Scene III] Notes 1 43 

droll, and as droll as indecorous ; and no wonder Master Launce 
got kicked out for fathering his minion's misbehaviour. His 
description, also, of his leave-taking at home, when about to ac- 
company his master on his travels, is queer and eccentric : and it 
must be borne in mind that foreign travel was a grave, and, by the 
ignorant commonality, thought to be a perilous adventure in those 
days ; since, not a hundred and twenty years ago,i cautious persons, 
when leaving Northampton for London (sixty-six miles), would 
make their wills ; and the whole congregation of kindred, friends, 
and neighbours would assemble to take leave of them. So, Launce 
and his family are in a terrible pucker at parting. . . . 

" When his fellow-servant. Speed, eagerly inquires respecting 
his master Sir Proteus's love-suit, * But tell me true, will 't be a 
match ? ' Launce characteristically and profoundly answers : * Ask 
my dog. If he say ay, it will ; if he say no, it will ; if he shake 
his tail and say nothing, it will.' Launce's best spice of philosophy 
is where he says: <I reckon this always — that a man is never 
undone till he be hanged.' The character of Launce reminds one 
in some degree, on account of its quaintness, of Launcelot Gobbo 
in The Merchant of Venice : but the humour of the former is even 
more eccentric — more * rum ' — than that of old Shylock's serving- 
lad. This peculiar vein of drollery was doubtless popular in Shake- 
speare's day ; for he has not unfrequently repeated and varied it 
in the characters of his men-servants. 

"Speed is a fellow of a * higher mark and likelihood' than 
Launce, who appears a sort of substitute for the 'fool' in the 
piece ; and, like the legitimate fool, a mixture of wag, zany, and 
monkey ; and mostly monkey for trick and mischief. Speed is 
as lively as quicksilver, is an eternal punster, and not without clev- 
erness in observing character. A man would own a choice round 
of acquaintance if Speed were his dullest companion." 

2. Kind. Kindred, race. Cf. M, N, D, iv. i. 124: "The 
Spartan kind," etc. 

1 This was written about sixty years ago. — Ed. 



144 Notes [Act II 

5. ImperiaVs, Emperor's ; of course meant to be a blunder, 
like prodigious for prodigal, 

12. Parting, Departure. Cf. i. i. 71 above. 

15. This left shoe. Cf. K, John, iv. 2. 197: "slippers . . . 
thrust upon contrary feet ; " a passage which perplexed the com- 
mentators of the eighteenth century. Johnson says : " Shake- 
speare seems to have confounded the man's shoes with his gloves. 
He that is frighted or hurried may put his hand into the wrong 
glove, but either shoe will equally admit either foot." Farmer, 
Steevens, and Malone fill a page of the Variorum of 1821 to 
show that in earlier times shoes were made " rights and lefts." 
Thus Scot, in his Discoverie of Witchcraft, says : " He that re- 
ceiveth a mischance, will consider, whether he put not on his 
shirt wrongside outwards, or his left shoe on his right foot," etc. 
Boswell remarks : " What has called forth the antiquarian knowl- 
edge of so many learned commentators is again become the com- 
mon practice at this day." This is by no means the only instance 
in which the mutations of fashion have bothered Shakespearian 
editors and critics. 

22. I am the dog, etc. This note of Johnson's is too good to be 
omitted: "This passage is much confused, and of confusion the 
present reading makes no end. Sir T. Hanmer reads, * I am the 
dog, no, the dog is himself, and I am me, the dog is the dog, and I 
am myself.' This certainly is more reasonable, but I know not how 
much reason the author intended to bestow on Launce's soliloquy." 

29. Like an old woman. The folios have " like a would woman." 
Theobald changed "would" to "wood" (= mad), which is used 
by S. in M. N. D. ii. i. 192 and V. and A, 740. Pope has "an 
ould woman." As White remarks, "the words were probably writ- 
ten ' an ould woman,' which might be easily mistaken for * a would 
woman ; ' much more easily than * wood ' for * would.' " He also 
reads " O, that shoe could speak now," and takes the sentence to 
be, " not parenthetical, but the counterpart of the remark about 
that with the better sole ; " that is, " the father-shoe * should . . . 



Scene IV] Notes 145 

not speak a word,' while the mother-shoe '•should, or could, speak 
. . . like an old woman.' " But there is no need of changing she 
to "shoe," for Launce identifies the shoe with his mother. It is 
true that he has said the shoe in referring to his father just before ; 
but if he had said he there, it would have been just as natural. 

30. Up and down. Out and out, exactly. Cf. Much Ado, ii. i. 
124: "here's his dry hand up and down," etc. 

36. Thou a7't to post after with oars. This is another proof that 
S. had a sea voyage in mind and not a passage by canal. The ship 
is evidently supposed to have left the pier, so that it can be reached 
only by a row-boat. Note also the reference to the river just 
below. Verona is on a river (the Adige), but not one that is navi- 
gable by sailing vessels. In ii. 4. 187 (as in i. i. 53) the road, or 
haven, is likewise mentioned. See on i. i. 71 above. 

Scene IV. — 7. The Exit'\\^x^ is due to the Cambridge editors, 
who say : " As Speed after line 7 does not say a word during the 
whole of this long scene, we have sent him off the stage. It is not 
likely that the clown would be kept on as a mute bystander, espe- 
cially when he had to appear in the following scene." 

16. Instance. Proof. Cf. Much Ado, ii. 2. 42, A. Y. L. iii. 2. 
53, 59, 62, 71, etc. 

18. Quote. Note, mark. The word was sometimes written and 
pronounced cote ; hence the pun on coat in Valentine's reply. Cf. 
Ham, ii. i. 112, etc. 

20. My jerkin is a doublet. Knight remarks: "TheyVr/^/w, or 
jacket, was generally worn over the doublet ; but occasionally the 
doublet was worn alone, and, in many instances, is confounded with 
the jerkin. Either had sleeves or not, as the wearer fancied ; for 
by the inventories and wardrobe accounts of the time, we find that 
the sleeves were frequently separate articles of dress, and attached 
to the doublet, jerkin, coat, or even woman's gown, by laces or 
ribbands, at the pleasure of the wearer. A * doblet jaquet ' and 
hose of blue velvet, cut upon cloth of gold, embroidered, and a 

TWO GENTLEMEN — lO 



146 Notes [Act II 

* doblet hose and jaquet ' of purple velvet, embroidered, and cut 
upon cloth of gold, and lined with black satin, are entries in an 
inventory of the wardrobe of Henry VIII. In 1535, a jerkin of 
purple velvet, with purple satin sleeves, embroidered all over with 
Venice gold, was presented to the king by Sir Richard Cromwell ; 
and another jerkin of crimson velvet, with wide sleeves of the same 
coloured satin, is mentioned in the same inventory." 

28. Than live in your air. See on ii. I. 173 above. 

36. Fire. Suggested by a fine volley ^ etc. above. 

54. Don. Ritson was disposed to omit this, as the characters 
are Italians, not Spaniards ; but cf. '*' Don Alphonso " in i. 3. 39 
above. 

56. Worth. The word has been suspected ; but the repetition 
in ivorthy is quite in Shakespeare's manner. Cf. 71 below\ 

62. Myself. See on ii. i. 169 above. 

63. Conversed. Associated ; as in i. 3. 31 above. 

65. 0??ntting. Neglecting; as in Temp. i. 2. 183, ii. I. 194,/. C 
iv. 3. 229, etc. 

70. Un77iello'w' d. Opposed to ripe ; used by S. only here. 

73. Feature. Person, form. Cf. Hen. VIII. iii. 2. 50 : " com- 
plete In mind and feature," etc. 

75. Beshrew me. See on i. i. 126 above. 

85. Cite. Urge ; not to be printed " 'cite," as by Malone and 
some other editors. It is a figurative use of cite = summon, not a 
contraction of incite. 

86. Presently, Immediately;, as often. Cf. 189 below. 

91. Pazvn for fealty. Pledge of fidelity. See on i. 3. 47 above. 

98. Wink. Shut the eyes. See on i. 2. 139 above. 

99. Exit Thurio. As the folios give 114 below to Thurio, it is 
evident that he must have left the stage, though his exit is not 
marked in the early eds. Collier was the first to insert it here, and 
is followed by White and the Cambridge ed. Theobald, followed 
by many editors, gives 114 to a servant. Dyce says that ** Thurio, 
after what the Duke, in the presence of Silvia, had said to him 



Scene IV] Notes 147 

about welcoming Proteus, would hardly run off the moment Proteus 
appeared." The Cambridge editors reply : " But Thurio is not 
held up as a model of courtesy, and he might as well be off the 
stage as on it, for any welcome he gives to Proteus. Besides, in 
104 Valentine ignores Thurio altogether, who, if he had been pres- 
ent, would not have remained silent under the slight." Hudson 
thinks that Thurio's coming in to do the message " is hardly con- 
sistent with what follows, — Come^ Sir Thurio ; " but I cannot 
imagine why. It seems natural enough that as he has brought the 
message from her father she should ask him to escort her to the 
Duke. 

104. Entertain him. Take him into your service. Cf. iv. 4. 63, 
70, and 91 below. 

114. / '// die on him. That is, challenge him to mortal combat. 

123. Have them much comfnended. Have much commended 
themselves to you ; have sent you hearty greetings. Cf. T, and C. 
iii. I. 73 : "commends himself most affectionately to you." Per- 
sonal pronouns are often used reflexively, like them here. Cf. M, 
of V. iii. 2. 235 : "Antonio commends him to you," etc. 

130. Whose high imperious thoughts^ etc. Johnson and Dyce 
would read "Those" for Whose; but, as Herford remarks, the 
change " damages both the coherence and the poetry of the pas- 
sage," for it is Love who imposes the punishment, etc. 

137. As I confess. That I confess ; a common construction. 

138. To. In comparison with ; as in 166 below. 
146. An earthly paragon, Cf. Cymb. iii. 6. 44 : — 

" By Jupiter, an angel ! or, if not, 
An earthly paragon." 

151. By her. Of her. Cf. M. of V. i. 2. 60 : "How say you 
by the French lord, Monsieur Le Bon ? " 

152. A principality. Johnson explained this as = "the first or 
principal of women ; " but principality was a term applied to one 
of the orders of angels, and that may be the sense here. Mason 



148 Notes [Act II 

paraphrases the passage thus : " If you will not acknowledge her 
as divine, let her at least be considered as an angel of the first 
order, superior to everything on earth." Cf. Romans^ viii. 38; 
and Milton, P. L. vi. 445 : " Nisroc, of principalities the prime." 

154. Sweet, Sometimes used as here in addressing men. 

159. Lest the base earthy etc. Cf. Rich, II. iii. 3. 190 : — 

*' Fair cousin, you debase your princely knee 
To make the base earth proud with kissing it ; " 

and V, and A, 721 : — 

" But if thou fall, O, then imagine this, — 
The earth, in love with thee, thy footing trips, 
And all is but to rob thee of a kiss." 

162. Su77i7ner-swelling, Steevens was at first inclined to read 
"summer-smelling," but rejected it on meeting with summer- 
swelling in Gorges's Lucan. 

164. Braggardism, Used by S. only here. 

166. Worthies, White changes this to "worth as," on the 
ground that in the time of S. worthies "was exclusively applied to 
warlike heroes ; " but he retains worthies in L. L, L, iv. 3. 236, 
where it can hardly mean "warlike heroes," either literally or 
figuratively : — 

" Of all complexions the cull'd sovereignty 
Do meet, as at a fair, in her fair cheek, 
Where several worthies make one dignity. 

Where nothing wants that want itself doth seek." 

175. Only for. Only because. 

183. Greed, Not " 'greed," as usually printed. It is found in 
prose, as in M, of V, ii. 2. 108, etc. 

186. Inquire you forth. Inquire you out. Cf. "chalked forth" 
{Temp, V. I. 203), "find forth" (C. of E. i. 2. 37), "point forth" 
{W, T. iv. 4. 572), etc. 

187. Road. Haven. See on i. i. 53 above. 



Scene IV] Notes 149 

192. Even as one heat, etc. A proverbial expression. Cf. /. C, 
iii. I. 171 : "As fire drives out fire, so pity pity; " R. and J. i. 2. 
46 : "Tut, man, one fire burns but another's burning; " K.John^ 
iii. I. 277 : — 

"And falsehood falsehood cures, as fire cools fire 
Within the scorched veins of one new-burn'd ; " 

and Cor. iv. 7. 54 : "One fire drives out one fire, one nail one nail." 
196. Is it mine eye, etc. The 1st folio reads : "It is mine, or 

Valentines praise ; " the later folios : " Is it mine then, or Valen- 

tineans praise ? " Various changes have been made by the editors. 

Mine eye, as the Cambridge editors remark, is supported by C. of 

E. iii. 2. 55 : " It is a fault that springeth from your eye." 

201. A waxen image, " Alluding to the figures made by witches, 

as representatives of those whom they designed to torment or 

destroy" (Steevens). Cf. K, John, v. 4. 24 : — 

" even as a form of wax 
Resolveth from his figure 'gainst the fire." 

207. More advice. Farther knowledge or consideration. Cf. 
M. of V. iv. 2. 6, M.for M.y, i. 469, etc. 

209. ^ Tis but her picture. Johnson, taking this literally, consid- 
ered it " evidently a slip of attention ; " but, as Steevens remarks, 
" Proteus means to say that, as yet, he had seen only her outside 
form, without having known her long enough to have any acquaint- 
ance with her mind." Cf. Cymb. i. 6. 15 : — 

" All of her that is out of door most rich ! 
If she be furnish'd with a mind so rare, 
She is alone the Arabian bird." 

210. Dazzled. A trisyllable. The later folios add " so." See 
on resembleth, i. 3. 84 above. 

The meaning of the passage is : " Her mere outside has dazzled 
me ; when I am acquainted with the perfections of her mind, I 
shall be struck blind''' (Malone). 



1 50 Notes [Act II 

211. Perfections. A quadrisyllable here. 

214. Co ju pass. Obtain, win. Cf. iv. 2. 91 below. 

Scene V. — 2. Milan I The folios have " Padua," as " Verona " 
in iii. i. 81 and v. 4. 129. The Cambridge editors believe that 
S. wrote the whole of the play before he had finally determined 
where the scene was to be laid. Halliwell-Phillipps suggests that 
" Padua " is perhaps a relic of some old Italian story, upon which 
the play may have been founded. 

6. Shot. Cf, Falstaff's play upon the word in i Hen, IV, v. 3. 
31 : "Though I could scape shot-free at London, I fear the shot 
here.'» 

18. Are they broken ? Have they broken, or fallen out ? 

26. Block. Blockhead ; as in W. T, i. 2. 225, Rich. Ill, iii. 7. 
42, etc. 

27. My staff understands me. Johnson notes that Milton has 
used the same quibble in P, L. vi. 625 : — 

" To whom thus Belial, in like gamesome mood : 
Leader, the terms we sent were terms of weight, 
Of hard contents, and full of force urg'd home ; 
Such as we might perceive amus'd them all. 
And stumbled many : who receives them right 
Had need from head to foot well understand ; 
Not understood, this gift they had besides. 
They show us when our foes walk not upright." 

See also C. of E, ii. i. 49 and T, N, iii. i. 89. 

40. By a parable. He seems to mean "indirectly." S. uses the 
^ox^ parable nowhere else. 

42. How sayest thou, that my master ^ etc. " What sayest thou to 
this circumstance, — namely, that my master, etc." (Malone). 

48. Whoreson. A "term of coarse familiarity," used generally 
without reference to its literal meaning ( = bastard), which occurs 
in S. only in Lear, i. i. 24. 

54. If thou wilt, etc. In the folios there is no comma after wilt. 



Scene VII] Notes 151 

and the 2d folio has " If thou wilt go with me to the alehouse, 
so." The pointing in the text is due to Knight. 

59. Go to the ale. Launce plays upon ale as applied to a church- 
ale, or rural festival. Cf. Per. prol. 6 : " On ember-eves and holy- 
ales." 

Scene VI. — i, 2. The folios have " forsworn ? " in both hnes. 
For the "indefinite use" of the infinitive in these hnes, cf. iii. i. 
185 below. 

7. Sweet-suggesting. Sweetly tempting, seductive. For suggest 
— tempt, cf. iii. i. 34 below. Warburton changed If thou hast 
sinrCd to " If I have sinn'd ; " but the preceding line shows what 
is meant. 

13. Learn. Teach ; as in Temp. i. 2. 365 ; "learning me your 
language," etc. Cf. v. 3. 4 below. 

17. Leave to love. Cf. iii. I. 182 below : "leave to be," etc. 

26. Ethiope. Cf. Much Ado, v. 4. 28, M. N. D. iii. 2. 257, 
R. and J . i. 5. 48, etc. It is an adjective in A. Y. L. iv. 3. 35 : 
" Ethiop words." 

35. Competitor. Confederate, partner. Cf. L. L. L. ii. i. 82 : 
" he and his competitors in oath," etc. 

37. Pretended. Johnson conjectured " intended ; " but preteyid 
is sometimes — intend. Cf. R. of L. 576 : — 

" Quoth she, ' Reward not hospitality 
With such black payment as thou hast pretended ; * " 

Macb. ii. 4. 24 : " What good could they pretend ? " etc. So pre- 
tence = intention ; as in W. T. iii. 2. 18, Cor. i. 2. 20, etc. See 
also iii. i. 47 below. 

41. Blunt. Dull in understanding ; as in 2 Hen. IV. ind. 18 : 
"the blunt monster with uncounted heads," etc. 

43. Drift ! Scheme, intention. Cf. iii. i. 18 and iv. 2. 82 below. 

Scene VII. — 2. Conjure. Accented by S. on either syllable, 
without regard to the meaning. 



152 Notes [Act II 

3. Table. Tablet; the " table-book " of W, T. iv. 4. 610 and 
Ham. ii. 2. 136. Cf. Ham. i. 5. 98 : "the table of my memory." 

4. Charactered. Written. Cf. Sonn. 108. I : " What 's in the 
brain that ink may character," etc. For the accent, cf. R. of L. 
807 : "The light will show, character'd in my brow," etc. 

5. Mean. For the singular, cf. iii. I. 38 and iv. 4. 108 below. 
S. also uses means, both as singular and as plural. 

9. A true-devoted pilgrim, etc. Knight remarks : " The com- 
parison which Julia makes between the ardour of her passion and 
the enthusiasm of the pilgrim is exceedingly beautiful. When 
travelling was a business of considerable danger and personal suf- 
fering, the pilgrim, who was not weary *To traverse kingdoms 
with his feeble steps,' to encounter the perils of a journey to Rome, 
or Loretto, or Compostella, or Jerusalem, was a person to be looked 
upon as thoroughly in earnest. 

" In the time of Shakspere the pilgrimages to the tomb of 
St. Thomas a Becket, at Canterbury, which Chaucer has rendered 
immortal, were discontinued ; and few, perhaps, undertook the 
sea voyage to Jerusalem. But the pilgrimage to the shrine of St. 
James, or St. Jago, the patron-saint of Spain, at Compostella, was 
undertaken by all classes of Catholics. The House of Our Lady at 
Loretto was, however, the great object of the devotee's vows ; and, 
at particular seasons, there were not fewer than two hundred 
thousand pilgrims visiting it at once. The Holy House (the 
Santa Casa ) is the house in which the Blessed Virgin is said to 
have been born, in which she was betrothed to Joseph, and where 
the annunciation of the Angel was made. It is pretended that it 
was carried, on the 9th of May, 1291, by supernatural means, from 
Galilee to Tersato, in Dalmatia ; and from thence removed, on 
the loth of December, 1294, to Italy, where it was deposited in a 
wood at midnight. The Santa Casa (which now stands within the 
large church of Loretto) consists of one room, the length of which 
is 3i| feet, the breadth 13 feet, and the height 18 feet. On the 
ceiling is painted the Assumption of the Virgin Mary ; and other 



Scene VII] Notes 153 

paintings once adorned the walls of the apartment. On the west 
side is the window through which the Angel is said to have entered 
the house ; and facing it, in a niche, is the image of the Virgin 
and Child, which was once enriched by the offerings of princes 
and devotees. The mantle, or robe, which she had on was covered 
with innumerable jewels of inestimable value, and she had a triple 
crown of gold enriched with pearls and diamonds, given her by 
Louis XIII. of France. The niche in which the figure stands was 
adorned with seventy-one large Bohemian topazes, and on the right 
side of the image is an angel of cast gold, profusely enriched with 
diamonds and other gems. A great part of these treasures was 
taken by Pope Pius VII., in order to pay to France the sum extorted 
by the treaty of Tolentino, in 1797. They have been partially 
replaced since by new contributors, among whom have been Murat, 
Eugene Beauharnais, and other members of the Bonaparte family. 
There are a few relics considered more valuable than the richest 
jewels that have been carried away. Notwithstanding the mean 
appearance of the walls within the Santa Casa, the outside is 
encased and adorned with the finest Carrara marble. The work 
was begun in 15 14, in the pontificate of Leo X., and the House 
of our Lady was consecrated in 1538. The expense of this casing 
amounted to 50,000 crowns, and the most celebrated sculptors of 
the age were employed. Bramante was the architect, and Baccio 
Bandinelli assisted in the sculptures. The whole was completed 
in 1579, in the pontificate of Gregory XIII. The munificent expen- 
diture upon the House of Our Lady at Loretto, had, probably, 
contributed greatly to make the pilgrimage the most attractive 
in Europe, when Shakspere wrote." 

18. Inly. Again used as an adjective in 3 Hen, VI. i. 4. 171 : 
*'inly sorrow." We find it as an adverb in Temp. v. i. 200 and 
Hen. V. iv. chor. 24. Clarke remarks here : " S. uses the word 
touch with varied and powerful meaning. Here — joined with inly 
for inward, or rather innermost — it conveys the idea of that fine 
and subtle feeling which penetrates to the heart's core." 



154 Notes [Act n 

22. Fi?'e's. A dissyllable ; as in i. 2. 30 above. Extrevie is 
accented on the first syllable by S. except in Sonn. 129. 4, 10. 
The superlative is always extremest. 

24. The more thou damm'sl it up, the more it burns. The mix- 
ture of metaphors here is apparently due to that of fire and water 
in the preceding lines. 

25. The current^ etc. E^adently suggested by the poet's remem- 
brance of the Avon. 

32. Ocean. K trisyllable ; as in Milton, Hymn on Xativity, 66 : 
" Whispering new joys to the mild ocean.'' See also J/, of V. i. i. 
8 and K.Johny ii. i. 340. 

42. Weeds. Garments. Cf. M. X. D. ii. 2. 71 : "Weeds of 
Athens he doth wear,*' etc. So also the siDgular ; as in J/. .V. D. 
ii. I. 256, Cor. ii. 3. 229, etc. 

48. Time. Age; as in Z. L. Z. i. 2. iS: ''an appertinent title 
to your old time." 

51. Farthingale? A hoop petticoat. Cf. J/. \V. iii. 3. 69: "a 
semi-circled farthingale." In T. of S. iv. 3. 56 we tind " fardingales." 

53. Codpiece. A portion of the male attire, made indelicately 
conspicuous in the time of S. Cf. Z. Z. Z. iii. I. 1S6, M. for J/. 
iii. 2. 122, etc. Malone remarks that allusions to it, even in the 
mouth of a lady, were not considered indecorous in that day. 

54. Ill-faz'our d. Ill-looking, unbecoming. 

64. Infamy. Discredit ; not used in so strong a sense as gen- 
erally. 

70. Instances of infinite of lave. The reading of the ist folio ; the 
2d has "as infinite." Malone reads "of the infinite," which is 
favoured by " the infinite of thought " in Much Ado, ii. 3. 106 ; but 
the text is sustained by other passages in old writers. Itifinite of 
course = inhnit}-. 

85. longing. Some would read *' lo^•ing." " But," as Qarke 
asks, *' could there be a more Shakespearianly comprehensive word 
here than longing? Julia, who has just talked of having Opined, 
'longing' for the sight of Proteus, now speaks of the journey thai 



Scene I] 



Notes 



^55 



she longs to take, that she longs to reach the end of, and longingly 
hopes to crown by beholding him." 

86. Dispose, For the noun, cf. iv. i. 76 below. See also C. of E, 
i. I. 21, K. Johfiy i. I. 263, etc. 

87. Reputation, Metrically five syllables. See on 32 above. 
90. Tarriance, We find the word again in P, P, 74 : "a long- 
ing tarriance." 




Pillory 



ACT III 

Scene I. — i. Give us leave. A courteous form of dismissal. 
Cf. M, W, ii. 2. 165 : "Give us leave, drawer ;" K. John^ i. I. 230: 
*' James Gurney, wilt thou give us leave awhile? " etc. 

4. Discover. Disclose. See on ii. i. 168 above. 

8. Pricks 7ne on. Cf. Rich. II. ii. 3. 78, I flen. IV. v. I. 131, etc. 

12. Myself. See on ii. i. 156 above. Cf. 24 below. 



156 Notes [Act III 

21. Timeless. Untimely; the only meaning in S. except per- 
haps in R. of L, 44. 

28. Aim. Guess, conjecture. Cf. y. C. i. 2. 163: "What you 
would work me to, I have some aim," etc. Cf. also the verb in 45 
below, and in T. of S. ii. i. 237, R, and J. i. i. 211, etc. 

34. Suggested. Tempted. See on ii. 6. 7 above. 

35. An upper tower. The upper part of a tower. 
38. Mean. See on ii. 7. 5 above. 

47. Publisher. One who exposes or brings to light ; as in R. of 
L. 33, the only other instance of the word in S. For pretence — in- 
tention, see on ii. 6. 37 above. Johnson makes pretence = " claim 
made to your daughter." 

57. Happy being. Agreeable life or residence. 

59. Break with thee. See on i. 3. 44 above. 

65. Full of virtue, etc. " The way in which Valentine here 
belies his own dignity as a gentleman, and compromises that of his 
mistress as a lady worthy all excellence in the match she should 
make, by speaking thus untruly of the husband proposed, affords 
one of the many evidences that this play was one of Shakespeare's 
earliest compositions " (Clarke). 

68. Peevish. Foolishly or childishly wayward ; as in T. of S. v. 
2. 157: "she is peevish, froward, sullen, sour," etc. 

73. Upon advice. On reflection, or consideration. Cf. ii. 4. 205 
above. 

74. Where. Whereas ; as in M. of V. iv. I. 22, Rich. II. iii. 2. 
185, \,Hen. IV. iv. I. 53, etc. 

81. Of Verona. The folios have "in Verona," and "Verona" 
in v. 4. 129 below, where, as here, we should expect Milan. Of 
Verona is Halliwell-Phillipps's emendation, adopted by White and 
others. White suggests that "the Duke made his pretended 
mistress a Veronese, the better to justify his application to her 
townsman for advice." See on ii. 5. 2 above. 

82. Nice. Fastidious; as in Hen, V. v. 2. 293: "nice cus- 
toms," etc. 



Scene I] Notes 157 

84. To my tutor. This use of to = for is common in S. 

85. Agone. An earlier form of ago, used by S. only here. 

87. Bestow myself. Deport myself; but only reflexively in this 
sense. Cf. 2 Hen. IV. ii. 2. 186: "How might we see Falstaff 
bestow himself to-night in his true colours, and not ourselves be 
seen ?" See also A. Y. L. iv. 3. 87, K. John, iii. i. 225, etc. 

Z%, Sun-bright. Cf. silver-bright in K. John, ii. i. 315 ; the 
only other compound with bright in S. 

89. Respect not. Regard not, take no notice of. Cf. i. 2. 134 
above, and iv. 4. 182, 194, v. 4. 20, 54 below. 

91. Quick. Literally, living, and here opposed to dumb, or 
inanimate. 

93. Contents. Pleases, gratifies ; as often in S* Cf. T. of S. 
iv. 3. 180, IV. T. ii. I. 159, Ham. iii. i. 24, etc. For the noun 
(= happiness, joy), see 0th. ii. i. 185, 193, etc. 

99. For why. White prints "For why! — the fools," etc., but 
the Cambridge ed. and others,- "For why, the fools," etc. Hudson 
says that both are " evidently wrong," and that there should be no 
point after 2vhy, as for why = because. There is no doubt that for 
why in some instances became practically =: because, or, as Abbott 
gives it (Grammar, 75), "wherefore? (because);" but this is 
merely a modification of the ordinary interrogative construction, 
and the comma may be used to distinguish it from the regular use 
of for and for that = because. 

109. 7'hat. So that ; as in 112 and 129 below. See also on ii. 
I. 31 above. 

113. Lets. Hinders; as in Ham. i. 4. 85: "I'll make a ghost 
of him that lets me," etc. Cf. Exodus, v. 4, Isaiah, xliii. 13, Roinans, 
i. 13, etc. For the noun (= hindrance), see Hen. V. v. 2. 65, etc. 

116. Apparent. Kvident, manifest. Cf. M. for M. iv. 2. 144: — 

" Duke. It is now apparent ? 
Provost. Most manifest, and not denied by himself." 

117. Quaintly. Deftly, skilfully. See on ii. i. 124 above. 



158 Notes [Act III 

119. Hero's tower, etc. See on i. i. 22 above. 

120. Adve7iture, Venture. Cf. W. 7". i. 2. 38 : *' I '11 adventure 
The borrow of a week ; " Id. ii. 3. 162 : — 

" what will you adventure 
To save this brat's hfe ? " etc. 

138. Engine, Used by S. for any instrument or device. Cf. V. 
and A. 367: "the engine of her thoughts" (her tongue); A. W. 
iii. 5. 21 : " promises, enticements, oaths, tokens, and all these en- 
gines of lust ; " 0th. iii. 3. 355 : " mortal engines" (cannon), etc. 

139. Bold to break. The omission of as in such cases is not 
uncommon in S. 

144. In thy pure bosom. Cf. 250 below. In the poet's time 
ladies had a small pocket in the front of their stays, in which they 
carried letters, love-tokens, etc. Cf. Ha7n. ii. 2. 113: "In her 
excellent white bosom, these," etc. Malone quotes one of Lord 
Surrey's Sonnets, in which he says to the "song" he sends his mis- 
tress : " Between her brests she shall thee put, there shall she thee 
reserve." 

145. Importune. For the accent, see on i. 3. 13 above. 

147. Myself. See on 12 above. 

148. For, Because. See on 99 and ii. 4. 177 above. 

153. Why, Phaethon, etc. "Thou art Phaethon in thy rashness, 
but without his pretensions ; thou art not the son of a divinity, but 
a terrcB filius, a low-born wretch : Merops is thy true father, with 
whom Phaethon was falsely reproached " (Johnson). It will be re- 
membered that in the old fable, Phaethon was the son of Phcebus 
by Clymene, the wife of Merops. 

156. Wilt thou reach stars, etc. Collier notes that, in Greene's 
Pandosto (on which W. T, is founded), Fawnia exclaims, in refer- 
ence to her love for the prince, " Stars are to be looked at with the 
eye, not reached at with the hand." 

157. Overweening, Presumptuous; as in Zl. A. U* 5- '^\>, Ri<^h, 
II. i. I. 147, etc. 



Scene I] Notes 159 

164. Expedition. Haste, dispatch ; metrically five syllables 
here. 

182. Leave to be. Cf. ii. 6. 18 above. My essence = my very life. 

183. Influence. An astrological term for the power exerted by 
heavenly bodies on human fortune ; and almost always so used 
by S. and his contemporaries, literally or figuratively, as illumined 
shows it to be here. 

185. To fly. In flying. See on ii. 6. i above. 

189. So ho^ so ho! The cry of the hunter on starting a hare. 
Cf. R. and J. ii. 4. 136. This will explain the play on hair in 
Launce's next speech. 

200. Who wouldst thou strike? Cf. Cor. ii. i. 8: "Who does 
the wolf love?" The 2d folio, which often corrects the syntax of 
the 1st, has " Whom." 

205. News. Here plural, as they shows ; S. also makes it 
singular, as in i. i. 58 above. 

224. Pearl. Often used of tears, but generally in the plural ; as 
in K. John, ii. I. 169, FAch. III. iv. 4. 322, etc. The singular 
occurs again in R. of L. 121 3: "the brinish pearl from her bright 
eyes." 

233. Chafd, Irritated, enraged ; as often. 

234. Repeal. Recall. Cf. the verb in v. 4. 143 below. 

247. Manage. Handle, wield ; often used of implements or 
weapons. Cf. Rich. II. iii. 2. 118, 2 Hen. IV. iii. 2. 292, 301, R. 
and J. i. I. 76, etc. 

263. But 07ie knave. This probably means a single knave, and 
not a double one (cf. Cymb. iv. 2. 88 : " thou double villain ! " and 
0th. \. 3. 400: "double knavery"), as Johnson and others explain 
it. Capell paraphrases the passage thus : " My master is a kind of 
knave ; but that were no great matter, if he were but 07ie knave ; 
but he is two — a knave to his friend, and a knave to his mistress." 
Clarke thinks the meaning may possibly be " a single knave, that 
is, an unmarried one ; " to make his friend's intended wife his 
own would crown his knavery. 



i6o Notes [Act III 

265. A team of horse, etc. Cf. T. N. iii. 2. 64: "oxen and wain 
ropes cannot hale them together." 

268. She hath had gossips. " Gossips not only signify those who 
answer for a child in baptism, but the tattling women who attend 
lyings-in. The quibble between these is evident" (Steevens). 

271. Water-spaniel. S. may have read Dr. Caius's Treatise oji 
Eftglish Bogs (1576; reprinted in Arber's English Garner), in 
which various uses of the water-spaniel are mentioned. Marshall 
suggests that this dog may here be confused with the " Spaniel 
gentle," or "Comforter," whose qualities, according to Caius, were 
indeed many and curious. 

Bare. " The word has two senses ; 7nere and naked. Launce 
uses it in both, and opposes the naked female to the water-spaniel 
covered with hair ^^ (Steevens). 

272. Catelog. Launce's blunder for catalogue. Some eds. print 
" cate-log " to indicate the pronunciation. 

274. A horse cannot fetch. The verb properly means " go and 
bring," which a horse cannot be told to do. 

275. Jade. Launce plays upon the word as applied to a worth- 
less or vicious horse. 

280. Mastej'^s ship ? The folios have " jSIastership ; " corrected 
by Theobald. At sea of course implies passage by sea from Verona 
to Milan, like the references to the tide and the possibility of ship- 
wreck. 

282. N'ews. See on 205 above. 

287. Jolt-head! Blockhead. Cf. T. of S.'yw. I. 169: "You heed- 
less jolt-heads and unmanner'd slaves ! " 

296. Saijit Nicholas be thy speed ! Saint Nicholas help thee I 
Cf. A. V. L. i. 2. 222 : " Hercules be thy speed I " etc. Knight re- 
marks ; " When Speed is about to read Launce's paper, Launce, 
who has previously said, * Thou canst not read,' invokes Saint Nich- 
olas to assist him. Saint Nicholas was the patron-saint of scholars. 
There is a story in Douce how the saint attained this distinction, 
by discovering that a wicked host had murdered three scholars on 



Scene I] Notes l6l 

their way to school, and by his prayers restored their souls to their 
bodies. This legend is told in the Life of Saint Nicholas, composed 
in P^ench verse by Maitre IVace, chaplain to Henry II., which 
remains in manuscript. By the statutes of St. Paul's School, the 
scholars are required to attend divine service at the cathedral on 
the anniversary of this saint. The parish clerks of London were 
incorporated into a guild, with Saint Nicholas for their patron. 
These worthy persons were, probably, at the period of their incor- 
poration, more worthy of the name of clerks (scholars) than we 
have been wont in modern times to consider. But why are thieves 
called Saint Nicholas's clerks in Henry IV. ? Warburton says, 
by a quibble between Nicholas and old Nick. This we doubt. 
Scholars appear, from the ancient statutes against vagrancy, to have 
been great travellers about the country. These statutes generally 
recognize the right of poor scholars to beg ; but they were also lia- 
ble to the penalties of the gaol and the stocks, unless they could 
produce letters testimonial from the chancellors of their respective 
universities. It is not unlikely that in the journeys of these hun- 
dreds of poor scholars they should have occasionally * taken a purse ' 
as well as begged * an almesse,' and that some of * Saint Nicholas's 
clerks ' should have become as celebrated for the same accomplish- 
ments which distinguished Bardolph and Peto at Gadshill, as for 
the learned poverty which entitled them to travel with a chancellor's 
license." 

306. Stock. For the sense (stocking) on which Launce plays, 
see T. N. i. 3. 144 and I Hen. IV. ii. 4. 130. 

311. Set the world on wheels. Let the world go its way, or be 
independent of it ; a proverbial expression. Cf. A. and C. ii. 7. 
99: — 

" Enobarbus. A' bears the third part of the world, man ; see'st not ? 
Menus. The third part, then, is drunk ; would it were all. 

That it might go on wheels." 

317. Here follow her vices. Some take this to be Speed's com- 
ment, not a part of the paper. 

TWO GENTLEMEN — II 



1 62 Notes [Act III 

319. Kissed. Omitted in the folios : supplied by Rowe. White 
adheres to the old text. 

323. A sweet mouth. *' What is now vulgarly called a sweet tooth, 
3. luxurious desire of dainties and sweetmeats " (Johnson). Launce 
pretends to understand it as a compliment to her beauty. 

337. I love crusts. And shall not have to share them with her. 

339. Curst. Shrewish. Cf. T. of S. i. I. 185: "Her eldest sis- 
ter is so curst and shrewd ; " Id. i. 2. 128 : "Katherine the curst," 
etc. 

341. She will often praise her liquor. *'That is, show how well 
she likes it by drinking often " (Johnson). 

344. Liberal. That is, too free, or wanton. Cf. Much Ado, iv. 
I. 93: "a liberal villain," etc. 

354. More hair thaji zvit. An old proverb, found in Ray's Col- 
lection. Steevens quotes Dekker, Satiromastix : — 

" Hair ! 't is the basest stubble ; in scorn of it 
This proverb sprung, — He has more hair than wit." 

356. The cover of the salt. " The ancient English salt-cellar was 
very different from the modern, being a large piece of plate gener- 
ally much ornamented, with a cover, to keep the salt clean. There 
was but one salt-cellar on the dinner-table, which was placed near 
the top of the table ; and those who sat below the salt were, for the 
most part, of an inferior condition to those who sat above it" 
(Malone). 

372. Go. The word is often opposed to ru7i, as here, and meant 
specifically walk. Cf. Lear, i. 4. 134 : " ride more than thou goest," 
etc. See also iv. 2. 20 below. 

377. Swinged. Whipped, Cf. ii. I. 84 above. 

Scene II. — 3. Exile. S. accents both noun and verb on either 
syllable, according to the measure. 

5. That. So that. See on ii. i. 31 and iii. i. 109 above. 

6. Lvipress. Regularly accented on the last syllable by S. 



Scene II] Notes 163 

7. Trenched. Cut. Cf. Macb. iii. 4. 31 : "trenched gashes ; " 
and V. and A. 1052: — 

" the wide wound that the boar had trench'd 
In his soft flank." 

Hour's is a dissyllable. Qi.fire in i. 2. 30 above. 

8. His. Its ; as often before its came into general use. 

14. Grievously. According to Malone, some copies of the 1st 
folio have " heavily," which is the reading of the later folios. 

17. Conceit. Conception, opinion. Cf. Hen. VIII, ii. 3. 74: — 

" I shall not fail t' approve the fair conceit 
The king hath of you," etc. 

28. Persevers. The only form of the verb in the folios. The 
quartos have " persevere " in Lear, iii. 5. 23. We find the word 
rhyming with ever in A. W. iv. 2. 36, 37. So perseverance is 
accented on the second syllable. 

35. Deliver. Report, say. See on i. i. 131 above. 

36. With circumstance. " With the addition of such incidental 
particulars as may induce belief" (Johnson). Cf. C. of E. w. i. 
16: " With circumstance and oaths ; " and R. and J. v. 3. 181 : — 

" But the true ground of all these piteous woes 
We cannot without circumstance descry " 

(that is, without further particulars). 

41. His very friend. Cf. M. of V. iii. 2. 226 : " my very friends," 
etc. 

53. Bottom it. Wind it. Cf. the noun bottom- ( = ball of thread) 
in T. of S. iv. 3. 138: "a bottom of brown thread." Hence the 
name of Bottom, the weaver in M. N. D. Steevens quotes John 
Grange's Garden, 1557: — 

"A bottome for your silke it seems 
My letters are become, 
Which oft with winding off and on 
Are wasted whole and some." 



164 Notes [Act III 

64. Temper, Mould, dispose; as in Hen. V, ii. 2. 118, Rich. Ill, 
i. I. 65, etc. 

68. Lime. That is, bird-lime. Cf. Macb. iv. 2. 34, Temp. iv. I. 
246 ; and the verb in Much Ado, iii. I. 104, T. N. iii. 4. 82, Zi^aw, 
iii. 3. 68, etc. 

76. Moist. For the verb, cf. A. and C. v. 2. 285 : "The juice of 
Egypt's grape shall moist this lip." 

77. Such integrity. Malone suspected that a line had been lost 
after this ; but, as Steevens remarks, the meaning may be " such ar- ' 
dour and sincerity as would be manifested by practising the direc- 
tions given in the four preceding lines." Discover = show ; as in 
ii. I. 164. 

78. Orpheus. Cf. M. of V.y.i, 80, Hen. VIII. iii. i. 3, and R, 
ofL. 553. 

81. Unsounded. Unfathomable. Cf. R. of L. 181 9: "my un- 
sounded self" (not sounded or understood). 

84. Consort. The folio reading, changed by Hanmer and most 
of the modern editors to " concert," a word not found in the folio. 
Cf. 2 Hen. VI. iii. 2. 327 : " And boding screech-owls make the 
consort full " ("concert " in most modern eds.). With the accent 
on the last syllable co7isort voLtO-wt a company (as in iv. i. 64 below) ; 
with the accent on the first syllable, a band of musicians. Cf. R. 
and f. iii. i. 48: — 

" Tybalt. Mercutio, thou consort'st with Romeo. 

Mercutio. Consort! what, dost thou make us minstrels? an thou 
make minstrels of us, look to hear nothing but discords ;" 

where Mercutio evidently plays upon consort = band of minstrels, 
Milton, who never uses concert, has consort repeatedly in the sense 
of choir or musical band; as in the Ode at a Solemn Alusic^ 27 : — 

" O may we soon again renew that song. 
And keep in tune with Heaven, till God ere long 
To his celestial consort us unite. 
To live with him, and sing in endless morn of light ! '* 



Scene II] Notes 165 

Hymn on Nativity, 130: — 

•' And, with your ninefold harmony, 
Make up full consort to the angelic symphony;" 

and // Pens, 145 : — 

" And the waters murmuring, 
With such consort as they keep, 
Entice the dewy-feather' d sleep." 

Cf. also Beaumont and Fletcher, Captain, i« 3 : — 

" Or be of some good consort ; 
You had a pleasant touch of the cittern once ; " 

and Night- Walker, iii. 3 : — 

" And tune our instrument till the consort comes 
To make up the full noise " 

(where noise = band of musicians, as in 2 //en. IV. ii. 4. 13, etc.). 

85. Dump. *' A mournful elegy" (Steevens). Cf. R. and J. iv. 
5. 108 and R. of L. 1127. 

86. Grievance. Grief; as in Sonn. 30. 9, L. C. 67, R. and J. i. 
I. 163, etc. So ^r?^ often = grievance ; as in v. 4. 142 below. 

87. Inherit her. Win her, gain possession of her. Cf. R. and J, 

i. 2. 30 : — 

" even such delight 
Among fresh female buds shall you to-night 
Inherit at my house." 

See also Temp. iv. i. 154, Rich. II ii. i. 83, Cymb. iii. 2. 63, etc. 

91. Presently. At once ; as in ii. i. 29, ii. 4. 86, 189, etc., above. 

92. Sort. Sort out, select. Cf. R. and J. iv. 2. 34 : — 

"To help me sort such needful ornaments 
As you think fit to furnish me to-morrow." 

94. Onset. Beginning. To thy good advice = to what you well 
advise, or to carrying out your advice. 

98. Pardon you. "Excuse you from waiting" (Johnson), or 
your attendance upon me. 




Stocks 



ACT IV 

Scene I. — A Forest near Milan. Most of the editors place the 
scene " near Mantua " or " on the frontiers of Mantua " (so also v. 
3 and v. 4) ; but I am satisfied that White is right in placing it near 
Milan, though he is probably wrong in assuming that the serenade in 
iv. 2 is the one proposed in iii. 2 (cf. Mr. Daniel's " time-analysis,'* 
pp. 193-195 below). The forest, however, as he says, is evidently 
the one which Sir Eglamour tells Silvia (v. i. 11) is "not three 
leagues off" from Milan. Collier places the scene "between Milan 
and Verona ; '* but I do not understand what White means by say- 
ing that he (Collier) forgets that " the road from Milan to Verona 
lay through Mantua." That would not be the direct route. 

I. Passenger, Passer-by, wayfarer ; as in v. 4. 15 below. 

10. By my beard, A common oath. Cf. "by my old beard " (^A. 
W. V. 3. 76), " by my white beard " ( W, T. iv. 4. 415 and 71 and C. 
iv. 5. 209), etc. 

Proper, Comely. Cf. M. of V. i. 2. 77, A, Y. Z. i. 2. 129, iii. 
5. 51, 55, 115, etc. It is often ironical; as in Much Ado, iv. i. 312, 
Hen, VIII . i. i. 98, Macb. iii. 4. 60, etc. 

22. Crooked. Malignant. Cf. Sonn. 60. 7 : " Crooked eclipses 
'gainst his glory fight ; " Hen, VIII, v. 3. 44 : " crooked malice," etc. 

166 



Scene I] Notes 167 

32. Glad of such a doom. As a milder sentence than death. 

'^'^. Have you the tongues ? Can you speak foreign languages ? 
See 56 below. Cf. Much Ado, v. I. 167 : " * Nay,' said I, * he hath 
the tongues.' " 

34. Happy. Proficient. Cf. Cyinb. iii. 4. 177 : " tell him Wherein 
you are happy," etc. 

36. Robin Hood^s fat friar. Knight says : " The jolly Friar 
Tuck, of the old Robin Hood ballads — the almost equally famous 
Friar Tuck of Ivanhoe — is the personage whom the outlaws here 
invoke. It is unnecessary to enter upon the legends — 

* Of Tuck, the merry friar, who many a sermon made, 
In praise of Robin Hood, his outlaws, and his trade.' 

Shakespeare has two other allusions to Robin Hood. The old 
duke, in As You Like It^ * is already in the forest of Arden, and many 
merry men with him, and there they live, like the old Robin Hood 
of England. ' Master Silence, that ' merry heart,' that ' man of 
mettle,' sings, * in the sweet of the night,' of * Robin Hood, Scar- 
let, and John.' The honourable conditions of Robin's lawless rule 
over his followers were evidently in our poet's mind when he 
made Valentine say — 

' I take your offer, and will live with you ; 
Provided that you do no outrages 
On silly women, or poor passengers.' " 

47. Awful. *' Full of awe and respect for the laws of society and 
the duties of life" (Malone). Cf. Rich. II. iii. 3. 76: — 

" how dare thy joints forget 
To pay their awful duty to our presence ? " 

The word, however, seems a strange one here, and there is much 
plausibility in Heath's conjecture of "lawful," which is approved by 
Sir J. Hawkins, Steevens, and others. Johnson explained awful as 
" reverend, worshipful, such as magistrates, and other principal 
members of civil communities,'* 



1 68 Notes [Act IV 

49. Practising, Plotting; as often. Cf. A. Y. L, i. i. 156, Lear^ 
iii. 3. 57, etc. So practice — plotting, trickery. 

50. An heir^ and near allied. The 1st and 2d folios have " And 
heire and Neece, allide;" the 3d folio "An heir, and Neice allide." 
Theobald made the correction, which has been adopted by the edi- 
tors generally. 

52. Mood. Rage, wrath. Qi. C, of E.\\. 2.172: " Abetting him 
to thwart me in my mood.'' See also A, \V, v. 2. 5, 0th, ii. 3. 274, 
etc. 

59. Qiuility. Profession, vocation. Cf. Hen, V. iii. 6. 146: 
" What is thy name? I know thy quality,'' etc. 

65. Consort? See on iii. 2. 84 above. 

73. Silly. Often used as a term of pity = poor, harmless, help- 
less. Cf. Rich. IF. v. 5. 25: ** silly beggars ; ** V, and A, 1098: 
** the silly lamb," etc. As Trench remarks {Select Glossary, s. v.) 
the word (identical with the German selig) " has successively meant 
(i) blessed, (2) innocent, (3) harmless, (4) weakly foolish.'' 

75. Crews, All the early eds. have " crewes " or " crews," for 
which " cave " or " caves *' has been suggested. The emendation 
is plausible, and derives some little support from the next line, and 
perhaps also from v. 3. 12 below; but no change seems really called 
for. As Knight remarks, " it was not necessary that all the outlaws 
should be on the stage, leaving the treasure unguarded." 

77. Dispose, See on ii. 7. 'S>6 above. 

Scene II. — 4. Prefer. Urge, or recommend. Cf. ii. 6. 15 above. 

5. Holy, Good, virtuous. Cf. 41 below. 

12. Sudden quips. Sharp taunts or sarcasms. Cf. Much Adoy 
ii. 3. 249 : " Shall quips and sentences and these paper bullets of 
the brain awe a man from the career of his humour? " 

20. Will creep in service^ etc. Reed notes that " Kindness will 
creep where it cannot gang" is found in Kelly's Scottish Proverbs. 
Yox go^ see on iii. i. 372 above. 

Qarke remarks here : " It is curious to note how, in slight 



Scene II] Notes 169 

touches, in mere passing words, as in broad painting, the poet 
contrives to fill up and keep perpetually before us the distinctive 
marks of his characters. In that little monosyllable crept here 
introduced — no less than by the preceding soliloquy and the more 
manifest passages throughout the play — the essential meanness 
that characterizes Proteus is delineated. Through the impression 
produced upon other persons in the drama, S. often thus subtly 
conveys the impression he desires to produce on his audience ; and 
in Thurio's expression crept we seem to see Proteus as even the 
obtuse Thurio instinctively sees him, — a cringing, stealthy-stepped, 
base-souled man." 

23. Who? The later folios have "Whom?" See on iii. i. 
200 above. 

26. Allicholy. That is, melancholy. Cf. M, IV. i. 4. 164 (Mrs. 
Quickly's speech) : "given too much to allicholy." 

42. The heavens such grace did lend her. Douce cites Per. prol. 
24 : " As heaven had lent her all his grace." 

45. Beauty lives with kindness. " Beauty without kindness dies 
unenjoyed and undelighting " (Johnson). 

55. Likes. Pluases. Cf. Ham. v. 2. 276: "This likes me well," 
etc. So impersonally ; as in M. for M. ii. i. 33: "if it like your 
honour," etc. 

64. Slow. Dull, heavy ; here opposed to quick. The dialogue 
here is a succession of quibbles. 

67. Change. Used technically of variation in music and verse. 
Cf. Sonn. 76. 2 and 105. 1 1. 

72. Talk on. On is often used for of. 

75. Out of all nick. Beyond all reckoning ; alluding to the 
keeping of accounts by nicks, or notches, on a stick, or wooden 
tally. Here the expression is in keeping with the character, as 
inn-keepers used these tallies. Steevens quotes A Woman Never 
Vexed, 1^1^:- ■■ I have carried 

The tallies at my girdle seven years together, 
For I did ever love to deal honestly in the nick." 



lyo Notes [Act iv 

80. Parts. Departs. Cf. ii. 3. 14 : " my parting." 

83. Saint Gregory's well. The only mention in S. of the holy 
wells which were the resort of pilgrims in the olden time. The 
town of Holywell in North Wales takes its name from the famous 
well of Saint Winifred, which was enclosed in a beautiful Gothic 
temple, erected by the mother of Henry VH. and still standing. 

Knight remarks : " How often must Shakspere have seen the 
country people, in the early summer morning, or after their daily 
labour, resorting to the fountain which had been hallowed from 
the Saxon times as under the guardian influence of some venerated 
saint ! These wells were closed and neglected in London when 
Stowe wrote ; but at the beginning of the eighteenth century, the 
custom of making journeys to them, according to Bourne, still 
existed among the people of the North ; and he considers it to be 
* the remains of that superstitious practice of the Papists of paying 
adoration to wells and fountains.' " 

91. Compass, Gain (your good will). See on ii. 4. 214 above. 

95. Conceitless. Void of understanding, stupid. For conceit = 
intellect, understanding, cf. 2 Hen. IV. ii. 4. 263 : " his wit 's as 
thick as Tewksbury mustard ; there 's no more conceit in him than 
is in a mallet," etc. 

96. To be seduced. For the ellipsis of as, cf. iii. I. 139 above. 
107. Buried. A trisyllable here. 

no. Importunacy. Accented on third syllable; as in T. of A. 
ii. 2. 42: "Your importunacy cease till after dinner." S. uses the 
word only twice. 

112. His grave. The first folio has "her" for his; corrected in 
the 2d. 

116. Sepulchre. Accented on second syllable. Cf. Lear/\\. ^. 
134 and R. of L. 805. S. uses the verb only thrice. The noun is 
ordinarily accented on the first syllable, but on the second in 
Rich. II. i. 3. 196. 

120. Hanging in your chamber. How did Proteus know this ? 

123. Else. Elsewhere, to another person. 



Scene III] Notes 171 

134. By my halidom. By my faith as a Christian. S. uses the 
phrase only here. Cf. Spenser, Mother Rubber ds Tale, 545 : " Now 
sure, and by my hallidome (quoth he)," etc. 

135. Lies. Lodges. Cf. 2 Hen, IV. iii. 2. 299: "when I lay at 
Clement's Inn," etc. 

139. Most heaviest. Double comparatives and superlatives are 
common in S. and his contemporaries. 

Scene III. — Dyce and Hudson make this scene and the next 
a continuation of the preceding. The latter remarks : "As there is 
confessedly no change of place, but only of persons, there is plainly 
no cause for marking a new scene." But there is a change of 
time — to the next day, in fact — which is surely a sufficient reason 
for a new scene. The preceding scene is at night, and Julia has 
just denied that it is " almost day ; " the present scene is early the 
next morning, but vi^e must assume an interval of at least several 
hours. Scene iv. is evidently later in the day when Launce is re- 
turning from Silvia with his dog which she has refused to accept. 
In the meantime Julia in disguise has entered the service of Pro- 
teus, and he now sends her to Silvia to claim the picture the latter 
had promised him the night before. It is absurd to crowd into a 
single scene all these events distributed through a night and the 
following day, and separated by other events occurring off the 
stage but essential to the plot. 

9. Impose. Injunction, command ; the only instance of the noun 
in S. Cf. dispose in ii. 7. 86 and iv. i. 77 above. 

14. Valiant, wise, etc. The verse limps, and Pope reads " Val- 
iant and wise," etc. ** Wise, valiant" has been suggested, making 
valiant a trisyllable, which it could not well be at the beginning of 
the line. 

Remorseful. Pitiful, compassionate ; the only meaning in S. 
Cf. Rich. Ill, i. 2. 256, etc.; and for remorse — pity, Id. iii. 7. 211, 
Macb. i. 5. 45, Ham. ii. 2. 513, etc. 

17. Enforce me ??iarry. Force me to marry. To is often 



172 Notes [Act IV 

omitted or inserted with the infinitive where it would not be so 
used now. 

22. Thou voiv^dst pure chastity. It was common in former ages 
for widowers and widows to make vows of chastity in honour of 
their deceased wives or husbands ; and this seems sometimes to 
have been done as a tribute to one merely betrothed, which was 
probably Sir Eglamour's case. 

25. And for. And because. See on ii. 4. 175 above. 

32. Rewards. Changed by Pope to " reward ; " but the singular 
verb is often found with two singular subjects. Cf. v. 4. 73 below. 

38. Grievances. Explained by Johnson as = " sorrows, sorrow- 
ful affections." The word sometimes had this sense (as in iii. 2. 86 
above), but here, as Clarke remarks, "the enforced marriage with 
a man whom her soul abhors, the most unholy match from which she 
would fly, seem to give support to the word being taken in its usual 
meaning of injuries menaced or inflicted, grounds for complaint." 

41. Recking. Caring. The folios have " Wreaking ; " as in some 
other passages. 'So reckless sometimes appears as "wreakless." 

42. Befortune. Betide ; used by S. only here. 

45. Confession. A quadrisyllable here ; as in v. 2. 41 below. 

Scene IV. — Enter Launce with his Dog. The poet Campbell 
asks : " What shall we say to Launce and his dog ? Is it probable 
that even such a fool as Launce should have put his feet into the, 
stocks for the puddings which his dog had stolen, or poked his head 
through the pillory for the murder of geese which the same dog 
had killed? — yet the ungrateful cur never denies one item of the 
facts with which Launce so tenderly reproaches him. Nay, what is 
more wonderful, this enormous outrage on the probable excites our 
common risibility. What an unconscionable empire over our fan- 
ciful faith is assumed by those comic geniuses ! They despise the 
very word probability. Only think of Smollett making us laugh at 
the unlikely speech of Pipes, spoken to Commodore Trunnion down 
a chimney — * Commodore Trunnion, get up and be spliced, or lie 



Scene IV] Notes 173 

still and be damned ! ' And think also of Swift amusing us with 
contrasted descriptions of men six inches and sixty feet high — how 
very improbable ! 

** At the same time, something may be urged on the opposite side 
of the question. A fastidious sense of the improbable would be 
sometimes a nuisance in comic fiction. One sees dramatic critics 
often trying the probabilities of incidents in a play, as if they were 
testing the evidence of facts at the Old Bailey. Now, unquestion- 
ably, at that august court, when it is a question whether a culprit 
shall be spared, or whipped and transported for life, probabilities 
should be sifted with a merciful leaning towards the side of doubt. 
But the theatre is not the Old Bailey, and as we go to the former 
place for amusement, we open our hearts to whatever may most 
amuse us ; nor do we thank the critic who, by his Old-Bailey-like 
pleadings, would disenchant our belief. The imagination is a 
liberal creditor of its faith as to incidents, when the poet can 
either touch our affections, or tickle our ridicule. 

"Nay, we must not overlook an important truth in this subject. 
The poet or the fictionist — and every great fictionist is a true poet 
— gives us an image of life at large, and not of the narrow and 
stinted probabilities of every-day life. But real life teems with 
events which, unless we knew them to have actually happened, 
would seem to be next to impossibilities. So that if you chain 
down the poet from representing every thing that may seem in dry 
reasoning to be improbable, you will make his fiction cease to be a 
probable picture of Nature." 

9. Steps me. For the expletive 7iie^ cf. 28 below. 

Trencher. Wooden platter. Knight remarks : " That the daugh- 
ter of a Duke of Milan should eat her capon from a trencher, may 
appear somewhat strange. It may be noted, however, that the fifth 
Earl of Northumberland, in 15 12, was ordinarily served on wooden 
trenchers, and that plates of pewter, mean as we may now think 
them, were reserved in his family for great holidays. The Northum- 
berland Household Book, edited by Bishop Percy, furnishes sev- 



174 Notes [Act IV 

eral entries which establish this. In the privy-purse expenses of 
Henry \^II. there are also entries regarding trenchers ; as, for 
example, in 1530, — * Item, paled to the s'geant of the pantr^'e for 
certen trenchors for the king, xxiijj. iiij^.' '' 

II. Keep himself. Restrain himself. 

28. Wot. Know. Used only in the present tense and the par- 
ticiple wotting, for which see W. T. iii. 2. 77 — the only instance 
in S. 

30. His servant. Pope changes his to " their; '' but, as Malone 
remarks, the words could never have been confounded by either 
the ear or the eye. The inaccuracy is, moreover, in perfect keep- 
ing with the character. 

43. ]Vhoreso7i. See on ii. 5. 48 above. 

55. The other squirrel. Launce e^•idently compares the little 
dog to a squirrel ; but Hanmer reads " the other. Squirrel," as if 
Squirrel were the name of the pup. 

56. Ha7igman boys. The 1st folio has " hangmans boyes,'' and 
the later folios " hangmans boy ; " but hangman was often used as 
a term of contempt, as it probably is here. 

62. Still a7i end. Perpetually; thought by Schmidt to be cor- 
rupted from '•' still and anon." 

63. Entertained. Taken into service. See on ii. 4. 104 above. 

73. She lov'd me well deliver d ii to vie. The ellipsis of the 
relative is like many in the play which have not been mentioned in 
the notes. 

74. To have. In parting with. For the inhnitive, see on ii. 6. 
I above. Cf. 144 below. 

85. TherewiUial. With it ; as in 170 below. 

93. Poor fool ! *' An expression used by S. more in the sense of 
compassionate tenderness than in that of describing folly ; though 
here there is also a spice of the latter indicated, as Julia thinks of 
her weakness in still loving Proteus " (Clarke). Cf. Afuch Ado, ii. 
I. 326, W. T. ii. I. 118, Lear, v. 3. 305, etc. 

107. Heaveiiit kjiows. Qi. K. John, v. 7. 59: " ^^^lere Heaven 



Scene IV] Notes 175 

he knows how we shall answer him ; " Rich. II L iii. 7. 236 : " For 
God he knows," etc. Speed — prosper, succeed ; as often. 

108. Mean. See on ii. 7. 5 above. 

122. Unadvised. Inadvertently. Cf. R, of I, 1488: "And 
friend to friend gives unadvised wounds." 

140. Tender, Have regard for. Cf. Rich. III. i. i. 44 : "Ten- 
dering my person's safety ; " Id. ii. 4. 72 : 

" and so betide to me 
As well I tender you and all of yours ! " 

Ham. i. 3. 107 : " Tender yourself more dearly," etc. 

153. Sun-expelling mask. In the poet's time ladies wore masks 
to protect their complexion. Cf. T. and C, i. 2. 286 : " my mask, 
to defend my beauty; " Cymb. v. 3. 21 : — 

•' With faces fit for masks, or rather fairer 
Than those for preservation cas'd, or shame ; " 

W. T. iv. 4. 223 : " Masks for faces and for noses," etc. Silvia 
wears a mask when she is met in the forest (v. 2. 40 below). 

155. Lily 'tincture. The lily colour. Cf. W. 7". iii. 2. 206 : — 

" if you can bring 
Tincture or lustre in her hp, her eye," etc. 

156. That. So that. Cf. ii. I. 31 and iii. i. 109 above. Black = 
dark ; as often. Cf. v. 2. 10 below. 

158. At Pentecost. That is, in the Whitsuntide festivities, when 
these plays were performed. 

159. Pageants, Dramatic exhibitions. Cf. v. 4. 161 below. 

160. The woman^s part. All the female parts on the stage were 
played by boys or young men in the time of S. Cf. A. Y. L. epil. 
18 : " If I were a woman," etc. See also A. and C. v. 2. 220. 
Pepys in his Diary has several allusions to this. The following 
quotations are from Bright's edition : — 

August 18, 1660. "Captain Ferrers took me and Creed to see the 



176 Notes [Act rv 

Cockpitt play, the first that I have had time to see since my coming 
from sea, *The Loyall Subject,' where one Klnaston, a boy, acted 
the Duke's sister, but made the loveliest lady that ever I saw in 
my life." 

Januar}^ 3, 1660. "To the Theatre, where was acted * Beggar's 
Bush," it being very well done ; and here the first time that ever I 
saw women come upon the stage." 

January 8, 1 660/1. "After dinner I took my Lord Hinchinbrok-^ 
and Mr. Sidney to the Theatre, and shewed them *The WiddoT 
an indifferent good play, but -wTonged by the women being to see':^ 
in their parts." 

Feb. 12, 1 660/ 1. " By water to Salisbury Court play-house, where 
not liking to sit, we went out again, and by coach to the Theatre, 
and there saw 'The Scornfull Lady,' now done by a woman, which 
makes the play appear much better than ever it did to me." 

The " Kinaston " referred to by Pepys was Edward Kynaston, 
who was engaged by Sir W. Davenant in 1660 to perform the 
principal female characters. He also played leading male parts. 
Pepys, under date of January 7, 1 660-1, says (quoted from Lord 
Braybrooke's ed.) : " Tom and I and my wife to the Theatre, and 
there saw * The Silent Woman.' Among other things here, Kinas- 
ton the boy had the good turn to appear in three shapes : first, as a 
poor woman in ordinary clothes, to please Morose ; then in fine 
clothes, as a gallant ; and in them was clearly the prettiest woman 
in the whole house : and lastly, as a man ; and then likewise did 
appear the handsomest man in the house." It was this Kynaston 
who once kept Cnarles II. waiting for a tragedy to begin " because 
the queen was not shaved." He lived until 1 712, and was buried 
in St. Paul's Church, Covent Garden. 

165. Agood. In good earnest ; used by S. only here. Malone 
quotes Marlowe, Jew of Malta : " I have laugh'd a-good ; " and 
TurbersT-le, Tragicall Tales : " Whereat she waylde and wept 
a-good." 

167. Passioning. Sorrowing; as in V. and A. 1 05 9 ; "Dumbly 



Scene IV] Notes 177 

she passions," etc. We find another allusion to the desertion of 
Ariadne by Theseus in M, N, D. ii. i. 80. 

169. Lively, Adjectives in -ly are often used adverbially. 

173. Beholding. '* Beholden," v^hich Pope substituted, but 
which is not found in S. Beholding occurs many times in his 
works. 

181. Cold. Cf. M. of V, ii. 7. 73 : " Fare you well ; your suit is 
cold," etc. 

182. Since she respects, etc. Collier remarks here : " It has been 
objected by Sir T. Hanmer that after Silvia has gone out, and Julia 
is left alone, she still keeps up her character of servant to Proteus, 
and talks of her master and mistress ; but nothing could surely be 
more natural, and in the very next line S. makes Julia excuse it : 
* Alas ! how love can trifle with itself ! ' " 

185. Tire. Head-dress. Ci. Much Ado, \\\. \.\^, M. W.\\\. ^i- 
60, etc. 

188. Flatter with. Cf. T. N, i. 5. 322: "to flatter with his 
lord," etc. 

189. Auburn. Flaxen. Florio refers to "that whitish colour of 
women's hair which we call an Alburne or Aburne colour." The 
folios have " Aburne " here. 

191. Periwig. False hair was much worn by women in the time 
of S. On his antipathy to the fashion, see M. of V. iii. 2. 92 fol., 
L. L. L, iv. 3. 258, T. of A. iv. 3. 258, and Sonn. 68. 5 fol. 

192. Grey as glass. The later folios have "grass" for glass. 
For grey eyes, which seem to have been those which S. liked best, 
see V. and A. 140, T. N.\. 5. 266, and R. and J. ii. 4. 45. Some 
editors strangely explain grey as — blue. 

195. Respective. Worthy of being respected, or cared for. Else- 
where in S. the word is active in meaning (= caring for, regardful), 
as in M. of V. v. i. 156 : "You should have been respective and 
have kept it ; " R. and J. iii. i. 128 : " Away to heaven, respective 
lenity ! " etc. 

196. Fond. See on i. I. 52 above. 

TW^O GENTLEMEN — 12 



178 



Notes 



[Act V 



20I. Statue. Image, embodied shape. The word appears to 
have been sometimes used interchangeably with picture, but it is 
not necessary to explain it so here. Julia means, as she says, that 
Proteus might have her substance as a statue — a substantial image 
— in place of the mere shadow, or superficial image, in the painting. 





Venetian Silver Ducat 



ACT V 

Scene I. — 3. That Silvia, etc. An Alexandrine. 

5. Come before their time. Cf. M. of V. ii. 6. 4 : "For lovers, 
ever run before the clock." 

6. Expedition. Metrically five syllables. 

12. Recover. Reach; as in Temp. iii. 2. 16 : "ere I could re- 
cover the shore," etc. 

Scene II. — 3. Exceptions at. In i. 3. 81 we find exceptions to ; 
as in T, N. i. 3. 6. Exceptions against occurs in 0th. iv. 2. 211. 

7. But love, etc. The folios assign this to Proteus ; but, as Bos- 
well conjectured, it belongs to Julia, to whom the recent editors 
generally give it. 



Scene IV] Notes 179 

10. Black. Of a dark complexion ; often opposed to fair. Cf. 
Much Adoy iii. I. 63, L. L. L. iv. 3. 253, etc. 

12. Black men are pearls, etc. "A black man is a jewel in a fair 
woman's eye " is found in Ray's Proverbs. In a certain book of 
quotations from S. arranged by subjects this passage is put under 
Negroes ! 

13. "'TIS true, ^.tz. The folios give this to Thurio ; corrected 
by Rowe. 

14. Wink. Shut my eyes. See on i. 2. 139 above. 

28. Owe, " Own " (Pope's reading) ; as often. 

29. Out by lease. That is, let to others, and not under his own 
control. Steevens quotes Edin. Rev. Nov. 1786: "By Thurio's 
possessions he himself understands his lands and estate. But Pro- 
teus chooses to take the word likewise in a figurative sense, as sig- 
nifying his mental endowments ; and when he says they are out by 
lease, he means that they are no longer enjoyed by their master 
(who is a fool), but are leased out to another." 

32. Sir Eglamour. The ist folio omits Sir, and the 2d and 3d 
folios have " say saw Sir." 

40. Mask'd. See on iv. 4. 153 above. 

41. Confession. A quadrisyllable. See on iv. 3. 45 above. 
49. Peevish. Silly, wayward. See on iii. i. 68 above. 

52. Silvia. A trisyllable here ; but a dissyllable in the next 
line. 

Scene III. — 4. Learn'' d. Taught. See on ii. 6. 13 above. 

8. Moyses. The folio reading, for which most eds. substitute 
Capell's " Moses." May it not have been intended for Moise, the 
Italian form of Moses ? 

11. Scape. Not to be printed "'scape," being found often in 
prose. Cf. state and estate, etc. 

Scene IV. — 2. These shadowy, desert, etc. The foHos have 
"This shadowy desart, unfrequented woods." On the passage, 
cf. A. V. L. ii. I. I fol. 



i8o Notes [Act V 

3. Brook. Like ; as in Rich. II. iii. 2. 2 : *' How brooks your 
grace the air?" But in S. as in oar day it is generally used of 
what w'e endure or tolerate rather than like or enjoy. 

6. Record, Sing ; as in Per, iv. prol. 27 : — 

" She sung, and made the night-bird mute 
That still records with moan." 

Steevens cites, among other instances of the word in this sense, 
Beaumont and Fletcher, Pilgrim : " O sweet, sweet I how the 
birds record too I " 

9. The building, etc. For the hgure, cf. T. and C. iv. 2. 109 : 
"the strong base and building of any love.'' See also Cor. ii. i. 
216 and Lear, iv. 2. 85. 

12. Forlorn. For the accent, see on i. 2. 124 above. 

20. Respect not. Care not for. Cf. i. 2. 134 and iii. I. 89 above. 
See also 54 below. 

37. Tender to me. Dear to me ; perhaps the only instance of 
this passive sense of the word in S. 

43. Still appro-Jd. Ever proved so by experience. Cf. Lear, ii. 
2. 167 : "approve the common saw,'' etc. For still = Q\tr, con- 
stantly, cf. Ham. ii. 2. 42 : " Thou still hast been the father of 
good news," etc. 

49. To loze nic. In loving me. See on ii. 6. i above. 

55. Spirit. Often monosyllabic in S. 

58. And love you, etc. The measure is not unlike that of many 
lines in S., but the critics cannot let it alone. Walker says that 
*' one of t\ie^Q forces [in 58 and 59] must be wrong ; " but he can- 
not "suggest a remedy." To me the repetition seems perfectly 
natural, if the preceding line is left as S. doubtless wrote it. 

71. Deep' St. The folio has " deepest," but it should probably 
be contracted, like many superlatives elsewhere. The O may be 
regarded as an extra unaccented syllable. 

73. Confounds. Changed by some editors to "confound; " but 
see on iv. ;. ;2 above. 



Scene IV] Notes 1 8 1 

77. Co7n77iit. That is, sin. 

78. Receive, Acknowledge, believe ; as in Macb. i. 7. 77 : " Who 
dares receive it other? " etc. 

83. All that was mine^ etc. This is a startling piece of generos- 
ity, to say the least, and Blackstone proposed to get rid of it by 
transferring lines 82 and %2> ^^ the end of Thurio's speech, 132-135 
below. But Thurio would not express any "love" for Valentine, 
even if he relinquished his claims on Silvia. Hanmer considered 
the passage as " one great proof that the main parts of this play 
did not proceed from S." Malone and others ascribe the im- 
probability to the poet's youth. Clarke remarks : " This line — 
the overstrained generosity of which startles most sedate readers — 
is precisely in keeping with the previous speech, and with Valen- 
tine's character. He is a man of impulse, of warm, quick feelings, 
full of romance and enthusiasm ; he is willing to make a heroic sac- 
rifice to show his suddenly restored faith in his repentant friend, 
and works himself up to the requisite pitch of superhuman courage 
by the emulative reference to Divine mercy ; but we see by his sub- 
sequent speech to Thurio how strongly his love for Silvia maintains 
itself within his bosom, though he fancies for the mo77ient that he 
could make it ancillary to friendship. The generous ardour of Val- 
entine's character is again visible in his appeal to the Duke on be- 
half of * these banished men,' his companions ; and the moral effect 
which his own virtuous principle, precept, and example have wrought 
upon them in their reform is of a piece with Shakespeare's noble 
philosophy of good in evil, thus early visible in this his certainly 
youthful production." White says : " Valentine displays a similar 
overstrained generosity when, on the arrival of Proteus (ii. 4), he 
twice earnestly requests Silvia to receive his friend as her lover, on 
equal terms with him — as his * fellow-servant ' to her." See, how- 
ever, on ii. I. 102. It is to be noted that Sylvia does not speak again 
in the play. 

Herford says : " Valentine's offer to surrender Silvia to the man 
who has just proposed to outrage her belongs to the pre-Sliake- 



1 82 Notes [Act V 

spearian period of Shakespeare's art. It certainly lacks not only 
psychological truth — the sure grasp of which chiefly distinguishes 
Shakespeare's romance from that of other men — but even psycho- 
logical plausibility. Many stories of similar type were, however, in 
vogue. An abject extremity of self-sacrifice was well known to the 
medieval romances, and Boccaccio, the idealist, devoted a tenth 
part of the Decayjieron to stories of * extraordinary generosity,' some 
of them hardly more palatable than this incident to modern senti- 
ment. That of Tito and Gisippo (x. 8), where Gisippo resigns his 
bride to Tito (a loyal friend, however), had been introduced by Sir 
T. Elyot into the Governour as an example of ideal friendship, and 
was highly popular. But when he wrote this play Shakespeare was 
probably himself under the spell of an exalted friendship. * Take 
all my loves, my love, yea take them all ! ' he exclaims in Sonnet 
xl. to his false friend. In such a mood Valentine's sudden access 
may have seemed to need none of the subtle strokes with which, at 
any later time, he would have prepared the way for it. In fact, 
however, Shakespeare never again suggested that a true lover can 
give up his love for his friend." 

Marshall remarks : ** It is impossible not to recognize some resem- 
blance to the compliant spirit displayed in Sonnets 40-42 — where 
S. alludes to having been supplanted by his friend in the affections 
of his mistress — and the exaggerated unselfishness which prompts 
Valentine to make this impulsive offer." But it is an insult to 
womanhood to compare the two cases. Besides, in the sonnet in- 
trigue, the lady had already been lost, and the poet simply makes 
the best of it. 

For myself, I am reluctant to believe that Shakespeare wrote the 
present passage as it stands ; and I am surprised that no editor 
or critic (so far as I can learn from the collation of texts in the 
Cambridge ed. and other accessible evidence) has suggested that 
perhaps the true reading is " I'd give thee," — that is, e/any further 
proof that I forgive and love you were necessary, I would even give 
up all my claims on Silvia in your behalf. Such an impulsive utter- 



Scene IV] Notes 183 

ance would be sufficient to explain Julia's exclamation, " O me 
unhappy ! " And in itself it would be precisely like Bassanio's dec- 
laration in the trial scene {M. of V. iv. i. 282 fol.) : — 

" Antonio, I am married to a wife 
Which is as dear to me as life itself; 
But life itself, my wife, and all the world, 
Are not with me esteem'd above thy life : 
I would lose all, ay, sacrifice them all 
Here to this devil, to deliver you." 

If the situation had been similar, that would have startled and 
shocked Portia for the moment as Valentine's speech does Julia. 
The change in the text would be slight compared with hundreds 
that have been made on far slighter grounds. No objection can 
properly be made to it on account of the " irregular sequence of 
tenses/' which it involves : fnay appear followed by Pd give. Abbott 
(^Grammary 371, 372) gives many similar examples, and I may add 
another from M. N. D. iii. 2. 242 : — 

" If you have any pity, grace, or manners, 
You would not make me such an argument." 

93. Julia. A trisyllable ; as in 98 and 99 below. So with 
Silvia in 95. 

94. Cry you mercy. Beg your pardon. Cf. M. N. D. iii. i. 
182, M, W. iii. 5. 27, Much Ado, i. 2. 26, etc. 

97. Depart. Cf. 2 Hen. VI. i. i. 2: " At my depart for France," 
etc. 

loi. Gave ai??i to all thy oaths. Was the object to which they 
were directed. 

103. Cleft the root ! That is, of her heart. The allusion to arch- 
ery is kept up. Cf. R. and J. ii. 4. 15 : "the very pin of his heart 
cleft with the blind-boy's butt-shaft ; " the pin being the centre ot 
the clouty or mark, at which the arrow was aimed. 

104. Habit. Her masculine apparel. 



1 84 Notes [Act V 

105. Have took. S. uses took^ taken, and ta^en for the participle. 
Cf. ??iistook in 94 above. 

106. If shame live, etc. " That is, if it be any shame to wear a 
disguise for the purposes of love" (Johnson). 

108. Lesser, Often used by S., as sometimes nowadays. Cf. C. 
of E,\. I. 109, M. N. D. ii. 2. 89, etc. It is sometimes adverbial ; 
as in T. and C. i. I. 28 : " Patience . . . Doth lesser blench at suf- 
ferance than I do." See also Id. ii. 2. 8, Cor. i. 4. 15, i. 6. 70, Macb. 
V. 2. 13, etc. 

112. The sins. The folio prints "th' sins," indicating the slur- 
ring of the article. 

113. Falls off. Proves faithless ; as in Lear, i. 2. 116: *' friend- 
ship falls off," etc. 

115. Constant. Faithful ; referring to the constant in the earlier 
part of the speech. 

117. Close. Union; as in T. N". v. I. 161 : "Attested by the 
holy close of lips " (that is, a kiss), etc. 

120. Grace. There is a certain play on the word in disgraced. 

.122. The first Silvia is a trisyllable, the second a dissyllable. 

126. Give back. Retire, "back out" in modern slang. In the 
only other instance of the phrase in S. (Z*. yV. iv. 3. 18) it has a 
different meaning. 

127. The measure of my wrath. "The length of my sword, the 
reach of my anger " (Johnson). 

129. Verona shall Jiot hold thee. However we may explain this 
(see on iii. i. 81 above), it is probably what S. wrote. White says: 
"To Valentine's apprehension, the whole part}^ were on their way 
from Milan to Verona, as he was when the outlaws stayed him ; 
and therefore his threat to Thurio that he shall never reach his des- 
tination." 

137. Make such 7?ieans. Make such efforts, take such pains. 
Cf. Rich. III. V. 3. 40 : " Sweet Blunt, make some good means to 
speak with him ; " Cymb, ii. 4. 3 : " What means do you make to 
him? " etc. 



Scene IV] Notes 185 

138. Conditions. A quadrisyllable. See on v. 1.6 above. 

141. Worthy of an empress' love. Cf. ii. 4. 76 above. 

142. Griefs. Grievances ; as very often. 

143. Repeal. Recall. See on iii. i. 234 above. 

144. Plead a new state, etc. The Cambridge editors and some 
others follow the pointing of the folios, which makes plead in the 
same construction as forget., cancel, and repeal. I prefer, on the 
whole (with many editors), to take Plead as imperative. The Duke 
bids Valentine set up the plea of a new state on the score of his 
unrivalled merit, to which he himself will subscribe by allowing that 
he is a gentleman of good birth and therefore worthy of Silvia. 
Herford, who follows the folio, explains the line thus : *' entitle you 
to a higher rank in virtue of your unrivalled merit " ; but I know 
of no instance in which plead is thus used in conferring an honour 
or granting a favour. Schmidt puts plead under the head of " allege 
in support or favour of something ; " but in none of the other in- 
stances of this sense is it a person having authority who pleads. 

152. Kept withal. Kept company with, dwelt with. 
155. Exile. For the accent, see on iii. 2. 3 above. 

160. Include. Hanmer reads "conclude," to which the word 
seems here to be equivalent. Schmidt gives it the same sense in 
T. and C. i, 3. 119: "Then everything includes itself in power." 

161. With triumphs, etc. " Malone, in a note on this passage, 
says : * Triumphs, in this and many other passages of Shakspere, 
signify masques and revels.' This assertion appears to us to have 
been hastily made. We have referred to all the passages of Shak- 
spere in which the plural noun triumphs is used ; and it appears to 
us to have a signification perfectly distinct from that of masques 
and revels. And first oi Julius Ccesar. Antony says : — 

* O, mighty Caesar ! Dost thou lie so low ? 
Are all thy conquests, glories, triumphs, spoils, 
Shrunk to this little measure ? ' 

In Titus Andronicus, Tamora, addressing her conqueror, ex- 
claims ; — 



1 86 Notes [Act V 

* We are brought to Rome 
To beautify thy triumphs.' 

In these two quotations we have the original meaning of triumphs 
— namely, the solemn processions of a conqueror with his captives 
and spoils of victory. The triumphs of modern times were gor- 
geous shows, in imitation of those pomps of antiquity. When 
Columbus, returning from his first voyage, presented to the sov- 
ereigns of Castile and Arragon the productions of the countries 
which he had discovered, the solemn procession on that memorable 
occasion was a real triumph. But when Edward IV., in Shakspere 
[3 Henry VI. v. 7. 42], exclaims, after his final conquest, 
' And now what rests but that we spend the time 

With stately triumphs, mirthful comic shows, 

Such as befit the pleasures of the court,' 

he refers to those ceremonials which the genius of chivalry had 
adopted from the mightier pomps of antiquity, imitating something 
of their splendour, but laying aside their stern demonstrations of 
outward exultation over their vanquished foes. There were no 
human captives in massive chains — no Hons and elephants led 
along to the amphitheatre, for the gratification of a turbulent popu- 
lace. Edw^ard exclaims [v. 7. 41] of his prisoner ^largaret : * Away 
with her, and waft her hence to France 1 ' The dread of Qeopatra 
was that of exposure in the triumph S^A. and C. v. 2. 55] : — 

' Shall they hoist me up, 
And show me to the shouting varletry 
Of censuring Rome ? ' 

Here, then, was the difference of the Roman and the feudal man- 
ners. The triumphs of the Middle Ages were shows of peace, 
decorated with the pomp of arms ; but altogether mere scenic 
representations, deriving their name from the more solemn tri- 
umphs of antiquity. But they were not masques, as Malone has 
stated. The Duke of York, in Richard II. [v. 2. 52], asks: 
* What news from Oxford ? hold these justs and triumphs ? ' and 
for these 'justs and triumphs' Aumerle has prepared his *gay 



Scene IV] Notes 187 

apparel.' There is one more passage which appears to us con- 
clusive as to the use of the word ti'iumphs. The passage is in 
Pericles [ii. 2. i]. Simonides asks: 'Are the knights ready to 
begin the triumph ? ' And when answered that they are, he 
says : — 

' Return then, we are ready ; and our daughter, 
In honour of whose birth these triumphs are, 
Sits here, like beauty's child.' 

The triumph, then, meant the *joustes of peace' which we have 
noticed in a previous illustration [see on i. 3. 30 above] ; and the 
great tournament there mentioned, when Elizabeth sat in her * for- 
tress of perfect beauty,' was expressly called a triumph. In the 
triumph were, of course, included the processions and other 

* stately ' shows that accompanied the sports of the tilt-yard. . . . 

" The Duke of Milan, in this play, desires to * include all jars,' 
not only with * triumphs,' but with * mirth and rare solemnity.' 
The * mirth ' and the * solemnity ' would include the ' pageant ' — 
the favourite show of the days of Elizabeth. The * masque ' (in its 
highest signification) was a more refined and elaborate device than 
the pageant ; and, -therefore, we shall confine the remainder of this 
illustration to some few general observations on the subject of 

* pageants.' 

" We may infer, from the expression of Julia in the fourth act, 

' At Pentecost, 
When all our pageants of delight were play'd,' 

that the pageant was a religious ceremonial, connected with the 
festivals of the church. And so it originally was. The * pageants ' 
performed at Coventry were, for the most part, * dramatic mysteries ; ' 
and the city, according to Dugdale, was famous, before the sup- 
pression of the monasteries, for the pageants that were played 
there on Corpus Christi day. * These pageants,' says the fine old 
topographer, * were acted with mighty state and reverence by the 
fryers of this house, and contained the story of the New Testa- 
ment, which was composed into old English rhyme. The theatres 



1 88 Notes [Act V 



as in S. 1. 168 abowe. 



APPENDIX 

Shakespeare's Trentice Work in Comedy 

Shakespeare's earliest original work was in comedy. After 
having tried his 'prentice hand at retouching old plays for a new 
lease of life on the stage — like Titus Andronicus (if he had any- 
thing to do with that play) and the three parts of Henry VI, — 
he wrote four comedies, — Lovers Labour ^s Lost, The Comedy of 
ErrorSy The Two Gentlemen of Verona, and A Midsummer- Nighf s 
Drea7n. That was probably the order in which they were written, 
though we cannot be absolutely sure about it. It is quite certain, 
however, that Love's Labour ^s Lost was the first of the four, and 
that the Drea?n was the last. All four were probably written 
between 1590 and 1594. 

Love'^s Labour ^s Lost, written when the poet was about twenty- 
five years old, bears many marks of a young man's work. At the 
same time there is a seriousness of purpose in it which we note also 
in the other early comedies, but which we would hardly expect in 
a comedy written by one so young. It has been well described as 
*'a dramatic plea in behalf of nature and of common sense against 
all that is unreal and affected." 

The story, which seems to be the poet's own, as it has not been 
traced to any foreign source, is extremely simple. The King of 
Navarre and three of his lords resolve to turn their court into an 
academy or college, in which for three years they will devote them- 
selves strictly to study. It is to be a monastic institution, the 
society of women being absolutely excluded. All the men are 

189 



[90 Appendix 



heartily in favor of the plan except Biron, who, after opposing it 
at first, agrees to it somewhat doubtfully and reluctantly. But at 
the very start, word comes of the arrival of the Princess of France 
and three of her ladies on business of state. The King is in an 
awkward predicament. He has taken an oath to admit no woman 
to the court, and is obliged to entertain the ladies outside the pal- 
ace; but the demands of business and courtesy bring the men and 
women together, and the former instantly fall in love with the fair 
visitors. Each supposes that he is the only sinner in this violation 
of their vows, and conceals it from his companions until, in one of 
the most amusing scenes in Shakespeare's works, they all find one 
another out. Then Biron reminds the rest that he had predicted 
the failure of their foolish scheme, and advises that they give it up 
and do their best to woo and win the ladies. They, being naturally 
somewhat piqued at the treatment they have received, play sundry 
practical jokes on their lovers, who get up some amateur theatricals 
for their amusement, in which the minor characters of the drama 
are the actors. But news suddenly comes that the father of the 
princess is dead, and she and her ladies must return at once to 
France. The wooing is interrupted, for the ladies will not pledge 
themselves to accept their suitors and " love's labour is lost," at 
least for the time ; but the lovers are put on probation for a year, 
during which period the sincerity of their passion is to be subjected 
to certain serious tests. Of course we know how it will all come 
out at the end of the year. 

Love's Labour'* s Lost is never put upon the stage nowadays, and 
is comparatively unfamiliar to the great majority of readers ; but 
The Comedy of Errors has always been popular as an acting play, 
and I need not give an outline of the plot, which is based upon the 
confusion of twins with each other and was used in comedy in the 
old Roman times. The only feature of the play to which I will 
call attention here is that it is not a mere farce, like the comedy of 
Plautus which doubtless suggested it, but has a serious element in 
the pathetic story of old ^-Egeon and his long separation from his 



Appendix 191 

wife and sons. This part of the plot was original with Shakespeare, 
who seems to have been unwilling to write a play of purely comic 
or farcical character, or without a mingling of moral purpose. 

The Two Gentlemen of Verona is in some respects an advance 
upon the earlier comedies. The plot is a romantic love-story, like 
those which Shakespeare afterwards treated with more skill and more 
power in As You Like It, Much Ado, and Twelfth Night. In Love's 
Labour 'j Lost the love-story was slight and incomplete, as the title 
suggests. The play was one in which action and characterization 
were subordinate to brilliant dialogue. In The Coinedy of Errors 
love played a part even slighter and more incidental, the action 
and interest being almost exclusively concerned with the mistakes 
due to the confusion of identity of the twins. 

But in The Two Gentlemen of Verona the love-story is the chief 
interest, and the minor characters and the comic action are sub- 
ordinate to it. Julia is the first of Shakespeare's heroines who 
assumes male attire, and is like a preliminary sketch of Viola or 
Imogen. She is lovely, modest, tender, and much too good for 
her worthless lover Proteus, who is false both to her and to his 
friend Valentine. Silvia is equally beautiful and admirable, but a 
stronger character. Valentine is the first example of Shakespeare's 
fine group of male characters who are types of md.n\y friendship, 
like Antonio and Bassanio, Hamlet and Horatio, Brutus and 
Cassius, and others, whose mutual love is as devoted and faithful as 
that of man and woman. Proteus is as unworthy of his friend as 
he is of Julia, though freely forgiven in the end by the generous 
and impulsive Valentine, who, when Proteus is penitent, actually 
offers to give Silvia to him. Of course the dramatist did not mean 
that the offer should be accepted, but it is annoying that it should 
have been made. The final scene in which it occurs was appar- 
ently written in haste, and was perhaps a first rough sketch which 
the author, for some reason, neglected to revise after finishing the 
preceding portions of the play ; or it may have come down to us 
in an abridged or corrupt form. If it had been carefully finished or 



19- Appendix 



revised, we may be sure that this perplexing episode wonld have 
been struck out. ^ 

The comic characters, Launce and Speed, are far superior to 
those in the preceding comedies, and compare not unfavourably 
mth those of the same type in later plaj^ Launce's ** immortal 
dog " is the only brute creature that can be said to take a promi- 
nent part in any of Shakespeare's plays. He almost deserved to 
be included in the list of dranuitis persona. 

In the present play we note various features that are repeated 
with greater skill or eflfect in subsequent plays. For instance, the 
talk between Julia and Lucetta (L 2) in which the suitors of the 
lady are discussed is admirably developed in The Merchant of 
Venice (i. 2) where Portia and Nerissa criticise the wooers who 
have come to try their luck in the lottery of the caskets, and where, 
with greater propriety, it is the mistress, not the maid, who de- 
scribes them. The later scene (see p. 118 above) is also more ap- 
propriately in prose. A comparison of the two dialogues will show 
what an advance three or four years had made in Shakespeare's 
dramatic art. This is even more noticeable in Twelfth N^ighl, where 
Viola, like Julia, disguised as a page, is sent with messages of love 
from the man she loves to the woman with whom he is in love but 
who does not reciprocate his passion, and discharges the unwel- 
come duty faithfully ; and in both cases all comes out right in the 
end. ** In Aluch Ado we have the signs of love in Benedick devel- 
oped from those described by Speed here. In All'*s Well we have 
a paraUel to the Host scene ^ and in Cymbeline we may compare 
Imogen with Julia. In these early plays, we have love's power 

1 It was necessary that something should be said or done to lead 
Julia to betray her sex, and possibly, in the first hurried sketching of 
the scene, Shakespeare could think of nothing better for bringing it 
about than this unnatural and preposterous oflfer of Valentine, at 
which Julia cries, " O me unhappy !" and faints. On her recovery from 
the swoon she hastens to put an end to the trying predicament by 
means of the ring which she was to delhrer to Proteus. 



Appendix 193 

over men's oaths to one another m Love's Labour'' s Lost, over men's 
friendship and their vows to women in the Dreayn and the Two 
Gentlemen, yet in the latter friendship overcomes love in Valen- 
tine's offer to give up Silvia to Proteus. The fickleness of love is 
also seen in the Errors, the Dream, and the Two Gentle?7ien, as 
in Romeo's change from Rosalind to Juliet" (Furnivall). Other 
** links " betw^een this play and later ones the curious reader will 
readily find if he looks for them ; and this " comparative " study 
of Shakespeare's dramas is always interesting and suggestive. 



The Time-Analysis of the Play 

The following is the summing up of Mr. P. A. Daniel's " time- 
analysis " in his elaborate paper " On the Times or Durations of 
the Action of Shakspere's Plays " ( Trans, of New Shakspere 
Soc. 1877-79, p. 123), with some explanatory extracts from the 
preceding pages inserted : — 

" The time of this play comprises seven days, represented on 
the stage, and intervals. 
" Day I. Act I. sc. i. and ii. 

Interval : a month, perhaps ; perhaps sixteen months. 
[Time to hear of Valentine's arrival at Milan and of 
his success at court ; time for Julia to acknowledge 
her love to Proteus. For a month past Antonio has 
been hammering on the question of sending Proteuf 
abroad. We may perhaps allow a month for this 
interval. In Act IV. sc. i., however, Valentine, 
interrogated by the outlaws, says that he has so- 
journed in Milan ' some sixteen months ; ' and he 
also says that he was banished for killing a man. 
Some motive for the self-accusation of murder may 
be conceived : it would impress the outlaws with the 
belief that he was a man of desperate fortunes, and 

TWO GENTLEMEN — 1 3 



194 xA.ppendix 



therefore fit for their purpose ; but why he should 
deceive them as to the time of his sojourn in MUan 
is not so clear. The sixteen months is not wanted 
for the plot of the play ; but if accepted its place 
must be in the first 'intervaL'] 
' Day 2. Act I. sc. iii. and Act II. sc. i. [I place the latter in 
day Ko. 2, though it might equally well come in the 
following day. It must from its position be coinci- 
dent in point of time either with Act I. sc. iii. or 
with Act II. sc. iL and iii.] 
" 3. Act II.'sc. ii. and iii. 

Ifiterval : Proteus's journey to Milan. 
" 4. Act II. sc. iv. and v. 

Ititej'val of a few days, to allow Proteus to settle at 
court. 
** 5. Act II. sc. vi, and \-ii., Act III., and Act IV. sc. i. 

Interval, including Julia's journey to Milan. • 
" 6. Act IV. sc. ii. [ At night. Thurio serenades Sil\'ia. 
This fact would at first sight seem to connect the 
scene with day No. 5, and lead us to suppose that 
Thurio was now putting in practice his resolution 
of Act III. sc. iL There are, however, so many sep- 
arating incidents in the scene, that one is fairly 
driven to the conclusion that this serenade is one of 
a later date than that resolved on in Act III. sc. ii. 
In the first place we find Proteus, at the beginning 
of the scene, speaking as though he had been for 
some time — days at least — urging his suit to Silvia, 
since, by the Duke's permission, he had obtained 
access to her. He tells her, too, he has heard that 
Valentine is dead ; it is a He, of course, but one he 
could not have ventured on if this were only the 
night of the day on which Valentine was banished : 
it imphes a lapse of time. His courtship of Silvia 



Appendix 195 

has, in fact, become notorious, and mine host brings 
Julia (as Sebastian) — who has apparently arrived in 
Milan within the last few hours — to this serenade 
under Silvia's window, as to a place to which it is 
well known Proteus often resorts. The presence of 
Julia, too, whose resolution to follow Proteus is only 
made known in Act II. sc. vii. (day No. 5), would 
be a glaring impossibility if this scene were taken to 
be the night of that same day. Time for her journey 
must be allowed, and an interval supposed between 
this scene and those preceding it.] 
*'Day 7. Act IV. sc. iii. and iv., and Act. V. [It may perhaps 
be questioned whether the last two scenes should 
not be placed in a separate day ; but taking into 
consideration the extreme rapidity of the action of 
the play generally, it seems probable that they were 
intended to end the day commencing with Act IV. 
sc. iii.] '* 



List of Characters in the Play 

The numbers in parentheses indicate the lines the characters 
have in each scene. 

Duke of Milan: iii. 4(18) ; iv. 1(102), 2(42) ; v. 2(18), 4(20). 
Whole no. 200. 

Valentine: i. 1(43) ; ii. 1(65), 4(112) ; iii. 1(77) ; iv. 1(23) ; 
v. 4(73). Whole no. 393. 

Proteus: i. 1(68), 3(29) ; ii. 2(17), 4(49), 6(43) ; iii. 1(75), 
2(42) ; iv. 2(57), 4(30) ; V. 2(15), 4(40). Whole no. 465. 

Antonio : i. 3(35). Whole no. 35. 

Thurio: ii. 4(14); iii. 2(14); iv. 2(7); v. 2(16), 4(5). 
Whole no. 56. 

Eglamour : iv. 3(19) ; v. 1(10). Whole no. 29. 



196 Appendix 



Host : iv. 2(26). Whole no. 26. 

ist Outlaw : iv. 1(15) ; v. 3(6), 4(1). Whole no. 22. 

2d Outlaw : iv. 1(14) ; v. 3 (i), 4(1). Whole no. 16. 

Sd Outlaw : iv. 1(20) ; v. 3(5), 4 (i). Whole no. 26. 

Speed: i. 1(51) ; ii. i(icx)), 4(3), 5(28) ; iii. 1(40) ; iv. 1(4). 
Whole no. 226. 

Launce : ii. 3(48), 5(35) ; iii. 1(104); iv. 4(55). Whole no. 
242. 

Panthino : i. 3(28) ; ii. 2(1), 3 (17). Whole no. 46. 

Julia: i.2(9i) ; ii. 2(4), 7(72); iv. 2(27), 4(99) ; v. 2(10), 
4(20). Whole no. 323. 

Silvia: }^, 1(18), 4(24); iv. 2(29), 3(32), 4(29); v. 1(3), 
3(3), 4(21). Whole no. 159. 

Lucetta : i. 2(54) ; ii. 7(18). Whole no. 72. 

In the above enumeration, parts of lines are counted as whole 
lines, making the total in the play greater than it is. The actual 
number of lines in each scene (Globe edition numbering) is as 
follows: i. 1(161), 2(140), 3(91); ii- 1(182), 2(21), 3(65), 
4(214), 5(63), 6(43), 7(90); iii. i(397)» 2(98); iv. 1(76), 
2(140), 3(47), 4(210) ; V. 1(12), 2(56), 3(15), 4(173). Whole 
no. in the play, 2294. 



INDEX OF WORDS AND PHRASES 
EXPLAINED 



ABC, 137 
account of, 139 
adventure (= venture), 

158 
advice, more, 149 
advice, upon, 156 
agone, 157 
agood, 176 
aim (= guess), 156. 
ale (= church-ale) , 151 
allicholy, 169 
and there an end, 136, 

141 
angerly, 127 
Antonio (spelling), 122 
apparent (=manifest) , 157 
applaud (= approve) , 136 
approved (= proved) , 180 
as (omitted), 158, 170 
as (= that) , 147 
auburn, 177. 
awful (= full of awe) , 167 

bare (play upon), 160 

be in eye of, 135 

be moved, 142 

beadsman, 123 

beauty lives with kind- 
ness, 169 

bechance, 124 

befortune, 172 

beholding (= beholden) , 
177 

belike, 139 

beshrew me, 125, 146 

best, you were, 125, 132 

bestow myself, 157 

bid the base, 128 

black (= dark), 179 

block (= blockhead), 150 

blunt (= stupid), 151 

boots, give me the, 123 

bosom, in thy, 158 

bottom (=wmd), 163 

braggardism, 148 



break with, 135, 156 
broken (= fallen out), 150 
broker (= go-between), 

126 
brook (=like), 180 
buried (trisyllable), 170 
by (=of), 147 
by my beard, 166 
by my halidom, 171 

canker (= worm), 124 

catelog, 160 

censure (= judge), 126 

chafed, 159 

chameleon (feeding on 

air), 141 
change (in music), 169 
charactered (accent), 152 
circumstance, 124, 163 
cite (= urge), 146 
cleft the root, 183 
clerkly (adverb), 140 
cloister, 130 
close (= union), 184 
coat (play upon), 145 
codpiece, 154 
coil (= ado), 128 
cold, 177 

compass (= win), 150, 170 
competitor (= partner), 

conceit (= opinion) , 163 
conceitless, 170 
conditions (metre), 185 
confession (metre), 172, 

179 
confounds, 180 
conjure (accent), 151 
consort, 164, 168 
constant (= faithful), 184 
contents (= pleases), 157 
conversed (= associated), 

146 
cover of the salt, 162 
creep in service, 168 

197 



crews, 168 

crooked (= malignant), 

166 
cry you mercy, 183 
curst, 162 

dazzled (trisyllable), 149 

deep'st, 180 

deign, 126 

deliver (= report), 163 

delivered (play upon), 125 

depart (noun), 183 

descant, 127 

destined to a drier death, 

126 
die on him, 147 
discover (= disclose) , 141, 

155, 164, 188 
dispose (noun), 155, 168 
Don, 146 
doublet, 145 
drift (= scheme), 151 
dump, 165 

earnest (play upon), 141 
Eglamour, Sir, 126, 179 
else (= elsewhere), 170 
enforce (= force), 171 
engine, 158 
entertain (= employ) , 147, 

174 
essence (=life), 159 
Ethiope, 151 
exceptions at, 178 
excuse (verb), 136 
exhibition (= allowance), 

136 
exile (accent), 162, 185 
expedition (metre), 135, 

159. 178 
extreme (accent), 154 

fall off, 184 
farthingale, 154 
fealty, 146 



198 Index of Words and Phrases 



fearful-hanging, 129 

feature (= form) , 146 

figure, 141 

fire (dissyllable), 126, 154 

flatter with, 177 

fond (= doting), 124, 177 

for (= because), 123, 148, 

172 
for (= for fear of ) , 129 
for why, 157 

forlorn (accent), 129, 180 
fortuned, 188 

gave aim to, 183 
give back, 184 
give me the boots, 123 
give us leave, 155 
give ye good even, 139 
go (= walk), 162 
gossips (play upon), 160 
grace (play upon), 184 
greed (= agreed) , 148 
grey as glass, 177 
griefs (= grievances), 185, 
grievance (= grief), 165, 
172 

habit (= dress) , 183 
hair (play upon), 159 
halidom, 171 
Hallowmas, 137 
hangman boys, 174 
happy, 167 
happy being, 156 
hard-favoured, 139 
have you the tongues? 167 
Heaven it knows, 174 
Hero's tower, 158 
herself (= she), 141 
his (= its), 124, 163 
holy, 168 
home-keeping youth, etc., 

122 
hour's (dissyllable), 163 
how sayest thou? 150 
however (= in any case) , 

123 

ill-favoured, 154 
impeachment, 132 
imperial (noun), 144 
importunacy (accent) , 170 
importune (accent), 132, 

158 
impose (noun), 171 
impress (accent), 162 



in good time, 135 

in print, 141 

include (= conclude), 185 

infamy, 154 

infinite of love, 154 

influence, 159 

inherit (= win), 165 

inly (adjective), 153 

inquire you forth, 148 

instance (= proof), 145 

interpret (of puppets) , 

139 
it shall go hard, 124 

jade (play upon), 160 
jerkin, 145 
jolt-head, 160 

keep himself, 174 
kept withal, 185 
kind (= kindred) , 143 

laced mutton, 124 
Leander, 123 
learn (= teach), 151, 179 
leave (= leave off), 151, 

159 
left shoe, 144 
lesser, 184 

lets (= hinders), 157 
liberal (= too free) , 162 
lie (play upon), 127 
lies (= lodges), 171 
Light o' love, 127 
likes (= pleases), 169 
lily-tincture, 175 
lime (= bird-lime) , 164 
lively (adverb), 177 
longing, 154 
love-book, 123 

make such means, 184 
manage (= handle), 159 
masked, 179 
me (expletive), 173 
mean (= means), 152, 156, 

175 
mean (= tenor), 128 
measure of my wrath, 184 
Merops, 158 
moist (verb), 164 
month's mind, a, 129 
mood (= rage) , 168 
more advice, 149 
more hair than wit, 162 
most heaviest, 171 ' 



motion (= puppet-show) , 

139 
moved me, 126 
Moyses, 179 
muse (= wonder) , 136 
myself (=1), 155, 158 

news (number), 159, 160 
nice, 156 

noddy (play upon) , 125 
noise (= musicians), 165 

ocean (trisyllable), 154 
o'erlooked (= perused), 

127 
omitting (= neglecting) , 

146 
on (= of) , 169 
on (play upon), 137 
one (play upon), 137 
onset, 165 
out by lease, 179 
out of all nick, 169 
overweening, 158 
owe (= own), 179 

pageants, 175 
Panthion, 122 
parable, 150 
pardon you, 165 
parle, 126 

part (= depart), 170 
parting (= departure), 144 
passenger, 166 
passioning, 176 
pawn (= pledge), 136, 147 
pearl (= tears), 159 
peevish (= foolish) , 156, 

179 
Pentecost, 175 
perfections (metre), 150 
period (=stop), 141 
periwig, 177 
persevers, 163 
Phaethon, 158 
picture (figurative), 149 
pilgrim, 152 
pin (of target), 183 
pinfold, 125 
plead a new state, 185 
poor fool, 174 
post (= messenger), 126 
pound (= impound), 125 
practising (= plotting), 

168 
praise her liquor, 162 



Index of Words and Phrases 199 



prefer (= urge), i68 
presently, 146, 165 
pretence (= intention), 

pretend (= intend), 151 
pricks me on, 155 
principality, 147 
proper (= comely), 166 
protestation (metre), 128 
Protheus, 121 
publisher, 156 
puling, 138 
put forth, 130 

quaintly, 141, 157 
quality (= profession), 

168 
quick (= lively), 157 
quips, 168 
quote (= note), 145 

reach stars, 158 
reasoning (= talking) , 141 
receive (= believe), 181 
recking (= caring), 172 
record (= sing), 180 
recover (= reach), 178 
remorseful, 171 
repeal (= recall), 159, 185 
reputation (metre), 155 
resembleth (metre), 136 
respect (= care about), 

157, 180 
respective, 177 
rhyme and reason, 141 
road (=port), 124, 148 
Robin Hood's fat friar, 

167 
robin-redbreast, 137 

sad (= serious), 130 
Saint Gregory's well, 170 
Saint Nicholas be thy 

speed ! 160 
scape, 179 

sepulchre (accent), 170 
servant, 139 
set (play upon), 139 
set (=set to music), 127 
several (= separate), 128 
shapeless, 123 



she (= her), 138 
sheep (play upon), 124 
ship (play upon), 124 
shot (play upon), 150 
silly (= poor, harmless) , 

168 
sith, 129 

slender reputation, 130 
slow (= dull), 169 
so (= so be it), 141 
so ho, so ho ! 159 
something (adverb), 136 
sort (= select), 165 
sorted, 136 

speed (= prosper), 175 
spirit (monosyllable), 180 
squirrel, 174 
stand affected, 139 
statue, 178 
stead (verb), 141 
still an end, 174 
still (=ever), 137 
stock (= stocking), 161 
stomach (play upon), 127 
sudden quips, 168 
suggest (= tempt), 151, 

156 
summer-swelling, 148 
sun-bright, 157 
sun-expelling mask, 175 
sweet, 148 
sweet mouth, 162 
sweet-suggesting, 151 
swinged, 139, 162 

table (= tablet), 152 
takes diet, 137 
tarriance, 155 
temper (= mould), 164 
tender (= dear), 180 
tender (= have regard 

for), 175 
testerned, 125 
that (= so that), 138, 157, 

162, 175, 188 
them (reflexive), 147 
therewithal, 174 
thought (= anxiety), 124 
throughly, 128 
tilts and tournaments, 132 



time (=age), 154 

timeless, 156 

tire (= head-dress), 177 

to (= for), 157 

to (= in comparison with) , 

147 
to (omitted), 171 
took (= taken), 184 
touch, 153 

trenched (= cut), 163 
trencher, 173 
triumphs, 185 
true devoted pilgrim, 152 
turn (= be inconstant), 

142 

unadvised, 175 
understands (play upon), 

150 
ungartered, 139 
unmellowed, 146 
unsounded, 164 
up and down, 145 
upon advice, 156 
upper tower, 156 

Valentinus, 136 
very (adjective), 163 

,water-spaniel, 160 
waxen image, 149 
weeds (= garments), 154 
what (= what a), 127 
where (= whereas), 156 
who (= whom), 159, 169 
whoreson, 150, 174 
wink (= shut the eyes), 

130, 146, 179 
with (=by), 138 
with circumstance, 163 
without (play upon), 138 
woman's part, 175 
wood (= mad), 144 
world on wheels, the, 161 
worthies, 148 
wot, 174 
wrack, 125 

wreathe your arms, 137 
writ (= written), 128 

you were best. 'C5, 132 



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While sufficiently elementary for beginners in the study it is 
full and comprehensive enough for students pursuing a regu- 
lar course in the Natural Sciences. It has been prepared by 
a practical teacher, and is the direct result of schoolroom 
experience, field observation, and laboratory practice. 

The design of the book is to give a good general knowl- 
edge of the subject of Zoology, to cultivate an interest in 
nature study, and to encourage the pupil to observe and to 
compare for himself, and then to arrange and classify his 
knowledge. Only typical or principal forms are described, 
and in their description only such technical terms are used as 
are necessary, and these are carefully defined. 

Each subject is fully illustrated, the illustrations being 
selected and arranged to aid the pupil in understanding the 
structure of each form. 



Copies will be sent^ pj-epaid^ on receipt of the price, 

American Book Company 

NEW YORK ♦ CINCINNATI ♦ CHICAGO 

(S. 165) 



OUTLINES OF BOTANY 

For the High School Laboratory and Classroom 
By ROBERT GREENLEAF LEAVITT, A.M. 

Of the Ames Botanical Laboratory 

Prepared at the request o/ the Botanical Det>artment of Harvard 

University. 



LEAVITT'S OUTLINES OF BOTANY, Cloth, 8vo. 272 pages. $1.00 
The same, with Gray's Field, Forest, and Garden Flora. 791 

pages 1.80 

The same, with Gray's Manual. 1,087 pages . . . 2.25 

This book has been prepared to meet a specific demand. 
Many schools, having- outgrown the method of teaching botany 
hitherto prevalent, find the more recent text-books too difficult 
and comprehensive for practical use in an elementary course. 
In order, therefore, to adapt this text-book to present require- 
ments, the author has combined with great simplicity and 
definiteness in presentation, a careful selection and a judicious 
arrangement of matter. It offers 

1. A series of laboratory exercises in the morphology and 

physiology of phanerogams. 

2. Directions for a practical study of typical cryptogams, 

representing the chief groups from the lowest to the 
highest. 

3. A substantial body of information regarding the forms, 

activities, and relationships of plants, and supple- 
menting the laboratory studies. 

The laboratory work is adapted to any equipment, and the 
instructions for it are placed in divisions by themselves, pre- 
ceding the related chapters of descriptive text, which follows 
in the main the order of topics in Gray's Lessons in Botany. 
Special attention is paid to the ecological aspects of plant life, 
while at the same time morphology and physiology are fully 
treated. 

There are 384 carefully drawn illustrations, many of them 
entirely new. The appendix contains full descriptions of the 
necessary laboratory materials, with directions for their use. 
It also gives helpful suggestions for the exercises, addressed 
primarily to the teacher, and indicating clearly the most 
effective pedagogical methods. 



AMERICAN BOOK COMPANY, Publishers 

(S. 174) 



A Descriptive Catalogue 
of High School and 
College Text-Books 

WE issue a complete descriptive catalogue 
of our text-books for secondary schools and 
higher institutions, illustrated with authors* 
portraits. For the convenience of teachers, sep- 
arate sections are published, devoted to the 
newest and best books in the following branches 
of study : 

ENGLISH 

MATHEMATICS 

HISTORY and POLITICAL SCIENCE 

SCIENCE 

MODERN LANGUAGES 

ANCIENT LANGUAGES 

PHILOSOPHY and EDUCATION 

If you are interested in any of these branches, 
we shall be very glad to send you on request the 
catalogue sections which you may wish to see. 
Address the nearest office of the Company. 

AMERICAN BOOK COMPANY 

Publishers of School and College Text-Books 
NEW YORK CINCINNATI CHICAGO 

Boston Atlanta Dallas San Francisco 

(S. 312) 



}CT 17 1905 



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